(Reuters) – Cameron Young recovered from a poor front nine to card a one-under-par 71 and has a two-shot lead after the third round of the Dubai Desert Classic on Saturday, where Rory McIlroy shot the lowest round of the day to roar back into contention.
The American is 14 under-par overall, with McIlroy and Poland’s Adrian Meronk two shots behind going into the final round.
Young began the day with a three-shot lead, but world number two and defending champion McIlroy, 10 shots off the lead at the start of play, hit a flawless nine-under-par 63 to give himself a great chance of retaining his title.
“I played some very, very good golf, definitely better than I played the last couple of days and nice to get myself right back in the tournament,” McIlroy said.
He holed five birdies on the front nine and as he eagled the 18th, Young was hitting a double-bogey on the seventh, and when the American followed up with a bogey on the next, McIlroy was in the clubhouse with the overall lead.
It’s a competition McIlroy has won three times already, and was the first title of his professional career when he triumphed in 2009.
“I think for me the key to this golf course is always the front nine because it is the tougher nine and if you can play that nine well you give yourself a ton of momentum going into the more scorable back nine,” McIlroy said.
Young didn’t wilt under the pressure, however, and three birdies on the back nine saw him regain the lead.
China’s Li Haotong and Dane Rasmus Hojgaard are both five shots adrift of the leader.
(Reporting by Trevor Stynes; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
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