Omega Dubai Desert Classic: Rory McIlroy On Cruise Control
By Les Bailey
Sep 12, 2014; Atlanta, GA, USA; Rory McIlroy reacts after making a putt on the eighteenth green during the second round of the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Twenty-five year-old Rory McIlroy hasn’t made a bogey since the ninth hole on Thursday at The Omega Dubai Desert Classic, and will take a four-shot lead to the first tee on Sunday morning. The world’s number one player put on a clinic at the Emirates Golf Course on Saturday, on how not to lose a golf tournament when you don’t have your A-Game.
He came close at 18, after putting his approach shot to the big dog-leg par five hole into lake guarding the green. McIlroy hit his fourth shot from the drop-zone, and made the 10 foot putt to escaped with yet another par.
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After making five birdies on the front side and making the turn at 30, narrowly missing a 29, Rory lost his mojo on the backside, and didn’t make another birdie until the 17th.
Rory carded another six under par 66 for his third round, and will take a four-shot lead to the first tee on Sunday.
"“To be bogey free again today was important to me, especially when you’re going out with the lead,” said McIlroy.“Not to make any mistakes makes it that much harder for anyone else – just to get that up and down on the last was big for momentum going into tomorrow.“I’m very happy. I feel like I could be a little bit more but I’m not going to complain – I’m four ahead going into the final day, so I’ve put myself in a great position to win tomorrow.“I just have to go and try and play similar golf to the way I have the first three days."
It’s fun to watch Rory McIlroy drive the ball, but a careful look at the numbers, tells why the young Northern Irishman has a four-shot lead.
During the first three rounds, he has only 82 putts, and 25 during the third round. It was his finest day with the flat stick, and it came when he wasn’t hitting fairways and greens.
He has hit 16 of 42 fairways with the big stick, and on Saturday, that average took a hit when he hit only four. It was apparent on the back nine while he only made one birdie, his putter bailed him out.
The scrambling statistic has him 9 for 10 on the week, and on Saturday, he was five for five. The thing that made that stat happen, was making the putts.
Morten Orem Madsen will play alongside Rory McIlroy when action resumes in the United Arab Emirates on Sunday, and the 26 year-old Dane got there by matching his six under total in the third round.
The young Danish player, who played college golf at Oregon State University has had an up and down Desert Swing. He finished T12 at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship two weeks ago, but missed the cut in Qatar.
He got off to a slow start in Dubai, but blistered the Emirates Golf Course with a 63 on Friday, and played himself into a position where he could win this thing if McIlroy stumbles on Sunday.
Madsen has one win on the European Tour, and that came at the 2014 South African Open. He is now ranked 194th in World Rankings, and 47th in Race To Dubai Points.
Lee Westwood finished the third round with sole possession of third place, and will play in the final group on Sunday with McIlroy, and Madsen. The 23-time European Tour winner posted a three under par 69 on Saturday, and got himself in position, with an opening 65 on Thursday.
On a day when Rory failed to widen the gap on the back nine, most of the close chasers failed to get out of the 70’s, and could not take advantage of their fortune.
All the T4’s, which include Danny Willett, Stephen Gallacher, Andy Sullivan, and Bernd Wiesberger shot matching two under par 70’s on Saturday, and lost four shots to the leader.
At thirteen under par, they probably don’t have a chance of getting to top of the leaderboard on Sunday, even if Rory struggles.
Danny Willett is the current 2015 Race To Dubai points leader, and Stephen Gallacher has won this event in the last two years. Gallacher started the week looking for a Three-Peat, but it doesn’t look good for the Scot at this time.
Source and Qutoes: EuropeanTour.com