Rory McIlroy positioned himself with chances of victory at the Dubai Invitational after a round of 68 strokes, three under par, this Saturday. McIlroy will start the final round at the Dubai Creek Resort three strokes behind the leader, Nacho Elvira, who also turned in a card of 68. Elvira leads by two strokes over the rest of the competitors, with Shane Lowry of Ireland, England’s Marcus Armitage and South African Dylan Frittelli tied for second place. After a complicated Friday where McIlroy added five bogeys and a card of 74 strokes, three over par, the Northern Irishman started the penultimate round with a birdie, but stumbled with a bogey on the 4th hole. He recovered with three birdies in the second half of the course, staying in the fight for the title. McIlroy boasts an impressive record in his first tournament of the year, with one victory, six second places and fifteen top-five finishes. I would say the key is the opportunity to work on some things during the free time at Christmas and then the enthusiasm to start a new year and start again. I have always loved coming here to the Middle East and Dubai and playing in these tournaments, even as an amateur. I have been coming here for over 20 years, and it’s a place where I feel comfortable. Lowry, seeking his first DP World Tour title since winning the 2022 BMW PGA Championship, began the day at the top of the leaderboard alongside Elvira. He lost two strokes with bogeys on holes three and six, but reacted with three birdies in the last 12 holes for a 70, one under par, keeping his hopes alive.
A bogey on the seventh hole affected Armitage’s performance, but he managed four birdies in the second half of the round, ensuring he was only two strokes behind the leader. Frittelli impressed with five birdies in a bogey-free round, putting himself in contention.
However, it’s Elvira, with four birdies and a bogey, who has the advantage heading into the final 18 holes. Elvira’s only previous victories on the European Tour were at the Cazoo Open in 2021 and the Soudal Open in 2024. Matt Wallace of England (69), is five strokes behind the leader, while his compatriot Tommy Fleetwood, despite an impressive third round of 66 strokes, is eight strokes away after giving up his chances of retaining the title with a 78 on Friday.Golf is hard, and it humbles you from time to time, and yesterday was one of those days. I got the worst possible score, and everything I could do wrong I did wrong. It was really disappointing. So I’m glad I played well today.
Tommy Fleetwood
