Rory McIlroy stands on the brink of a historic double victory as he heads into the final round of the DP World Championship in Dubai. The Northern Irishman, who has already won the season-long Race to Dubai crown five times, could claim his sixth title if he finishes in the top 11 of the tournament. Additionally, a win in the DP World Championship itself would mark a triumphant end to McIlroy's year. He finds himself in a strong position, sharing the lead at 12-under par after carding a 68 on Saturday.
McIlroy is tied at the top with France’s Antoine Rozner and Denmark’s Rasmus Hojgaard. Rozner, who started Saturday with a one-stroke lead, maintained his position with a solid round of 69, highlighted by a crucial eagle on the 18th hole. Meanwhile, Hojgaard’s remarkable front-nine performance included six birdies, propelling him to a 66 and setting up a dramatic showdown on Sunday.
Despite being in contention, McIlroy expressed mixed feelings about his performance. After making birdies on the 10th and 12th holes, he was unable to capitalize on further birdie opportunities through the rest of the back nine, finishing with a string of pars. "After the birdie on 12, you know, I had a good chance," McIlroy remarked. "A little disappointed how I played those last five holes, but still obviously in a really good position heading into tomorrow."
Hojgaard, in contrast, was satisfied with his round, especially after making a par-saving putt at the par-5 18th hole, where he had narrowly avoided a bogey. His strategy for the final round is straightforward: focus on each hole and keep errors to a minimum. "Try not to worry too much of what's ahead of me. Try and play one hole at a time and see if I can get the best score possible," he said.
Rozner, who managed to hold his place at the top despite not having his best round of the week, was buoyed by his eagle finish. "The eagle on last helped me big time," Rozner said. "I didn't produce my best golf of the week so far but I was always hanging in there."
Close on the heels of the leaders are Sweden’s Jesper Svensson and Chile’s Joaquin Niemann, both two shots behind at 10-under, after rounds of 68 and 69, respectively. England’s Tyrrell Hatton sits three strokes back in sixth place, while Tom McKibbin of Northern Ireland and Japan’s Keita Nakajima are four shots adrift at 8-under.
Sunday’s final round promises to be an intense battle, with McIlroy aiming for a rare feat of winning both the tournament and the season championship for the third time in his career. "It's a great opportunity to end the year on a really high note," McIlroy said. "Going to go out there tomorrow and give it everything I can and hopefully things fall my way and I'm able to stand on that 18th green with both trophies."
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