Shane Lowry poised for final day challenge in Abu Dhabi, McIlroy rues late error
by AFP · The42SHANE LOWRY IS within touching distance of the lead — and a first prize of more than €1.4 million ($1.53m) — ahead of the final day of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.
Lowry, who won the event in 2019, shot a Saturday 66 to move to 15-under par, tied for third and three shots behind leader Paul Waring.
But Rory McIlroy continued to struggle, finishing with a double bogey on the par-five 18th after an errant tee shot found water on the left side, to sit five shots off the lead in tied-13th.
It was the second day in a row that the world number three dropped a big number in his closing holes following a triple bogey on the par-three 17th on Friday.
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A day after setting a course record 61, Waring was the only player among the top-29 on the leaderboard to post an over-par score. Fast-rising Dane Niklas Norgaard Moller hit a third round 69 to cut Waring’s five-shot overnight lead to the bare minimum, with Lowry, Tommy Fleetwood, Thorbjoern Olesen and Sebastian Soederberg in a group three back.
“If I can fire a low one tomorrow, I can be there or thereabouts,” Lowry said.
“I’ve been driving the ball really good. My iron play has been great. You know, I probably haven’t been holing as many putts as I would like.
I feel like I’m putting alright, hitting good putts, not missing the shorter ones. And I feel like, yeah, a few putts drop, I can be dangerous.
Despite his struggles, McIlroy still felt confident of getting his hands on the trophy in Abu Dhabi for the first time in his career.
“Playing the last two holes two-over two days in a row is not ideal. Cost myself a few shots there,” said McIlroy, who is seeking to secure his sixth DP World Tour Order of Merit crown next week in Dubai and match the legendary Spaniard Seve Ballesteros.
“The leaders weren’t getting away, which was nice and I was making a little bit of a charge. And yeah, just one mistake, that drive on 18, and with it playing so much into the wind.
“It was an untimely mistake, just like yesterday on the 17th, and I dug myself a little bit of a hole to get out of, but depending on what the leaders do, I can still go into tomorrow feeling like I have half a chance.
“I just need to put it all together and play the way I’ve been playing and keep the big mistakes and big numbers off my card and if I can do that and post a score, you never know.”