Aaron Rai from England enters the final round of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship with a narrow one-shot lead, closely followed by two-time former champion Tommy Fleetwood and Nicolai Hojgaard. Shane Lowry, starting five shots behind the leader at 15-under par, and Rory McIlroy, just one shot further back, are also in contention as the tournament heads into its final stretch.
Lowry, who began the day three shots off the pace, started strong with a birdie on the first hole and accumulated further birdies at the third, seventh, and 11th. He faced a setback with a bogey on the 17th hole, a repeat of his experience from the previous day, but managed to redeem himself by birdieing the last hole, finishing with a solid round.
McIlroy, who carded a brilliant round of 66, managed to keep his play steady with only one bogey at the 14th hole and seven birdies throughout the day, positioning himself well for a finals push.
Rai, who shares the distinction of being a halfway co-leader, made an impressive start to his third round, turning in an outstanding 31 thanks to five birdies on the front nine. He briefly expanded his lead to three shots after two additional birdies following the turn but saw his advantage shrink after a bogey on the 17th hole allowed Fleetwood and Hojgaard to close in with strong finishes.
Rai’s third-round score of 66 puts him at an impressive 20 under par heading into Sunday’s final round, with Fleetwood and Hojgaard chasing closely behind. Andy Sullivan holds a tie for fifth place at 17 under, ahead of both Lowry and England’s Jordan Smith, who are in a competitive field that includes McIlroy, Tyrrell Hatton, Connor Syme, and Marcus Armitage.
Reflecting on the tournament, Rai expressed the significance of the event on the DP World Tour, stating, “This is a huge event. To win this week, to have a chance going into the weekend, is great.” As the competition heats up, both Fleetwood and Hojgaard have also shown remarkable skill, with Fleetwood posting an error-free round of 67 featuring an eagle and three birdies, while Hojgaard made his mark with eight birdies against just one bogey in his round of 65.
With talented players ready to vie for the championship, the final round promises to deliver excitement and high stakes for both the competitors and the spectators.