Rory McIlroy’s pursuit of his 18th DP World Tour title hit a rough patch during the third round of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship at Yas Links. Despite showing flashes of brilliance, the Northern Irishman’s hopes were derailed by costly mistakes in the closing stages of his last two rounds.
After a slow start on Saturday with a bogey on the par-4 1st, McIlroy seemed to find his rhythm, recording six birdies over the next 14 holes. As he approached the par-5 18th, he was sitting at five under for the day and 15 under overall, firmly in contention. However, disaster struck when his tee shot found the water. Following a drop, his third shot left him a long approach, which ended in the greenside bunker. A missed bogey putt resulted in a deflating double-bogey, dropping him to 13 under and tied for 13th place, five shots behind leader Paul Waring.
The setback marked the second consecutive round where late mistakes proved costly. On Friday, McIlroy was cruising at seven under before a triple-bogey on the par-3 17th derailed his momentum. Unlike Saturday, he managed to birdie the 18th on Friday, salvaging some ground.
Reflecting on his performance, McIlroy admitted frustration: “Playing the last two holes in two over for two days in a row is not ideal. I’ve definitely cost myself a few shots there,” he said. Still, he remains optimistic about his chances heading into Sunday’s final round. “Depending on what the leaders do, I can still go into tomorrow feeling like I have half a chance.”
With low scores possible at Yas Links—highlighted by Paul Waring’s 11-under 61 on Friday—McIlroy knows there’s still room for a comeback. Fans can catch the final-round action of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship on Golf Channel, starting at 1:30 a.m. ET on Sunday.