DP World Tour Championship: Rory McIlroy regains Dubai lead after third-round 67

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption, Rory McIlroy is leading again in Dubai after having a two-shot advantage following the first round

DP World Tour Championship - third round

-14 R McIlroy (NI); -13 S Horsfield (Eng); -12 R MacIntyre (Sco), A Bjork (Swe); -11 J Catlin (US), S Lowry (Ire), JB Hansen (Den), C Morikawa (US)

Selected others: -10 M Kaymer (Ger); -9 M Armitage (Eng); -8 M Fitzpatrick (Eng); -7 P Casey (Eng), I Poulter (Eng), T Hatton (Eng); -5 S Garcia (Spa)

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Rory McIlroy regained the lead at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai after a third round of 67 put him one ahead of England's Sam Horsfield.

McIlroy carded seven birdies on Saturday to finish the day on 14 under.

Horsfield's final-hole bogey dropped him one behind with Scotland's Robert MacIntyre and Sweden's Alexander Bjork a further stroke back.

Race to Dubai leader and Open champion Collin Morikawa is on 11 under in a group that includes Shane Lowry.

Morikawa remains on course to become the first US player to clinch the Harry Vardon Trophy, which goes to the leading player on the European Tour at the end of the campaign.

Joining the two most recent Open champions three shots off the pace are US player John Catlin and Denmark's Joachim B Hansen.

'I'm right where I want to be' - McIlroy

McIlroy is aiming to become the first three-time winner of the Dubai event after triumphing in 2012 and 2015.

After finishing with a double bogey on Friday to relinquish the lead, the former world number one dropped another shot at the first on Saturday but responded impressively by picking up birdies at the second and third, which gave him momentum for the remainder of his round.

A poor tee shot at the par-three 17th left him fortunate to make a bogey as he ended up on rocks close to the water but his birdie at the last saw him edge ahead with Horsfield bogeying the 18th after finding sand off the tee.

"I'm right where I want to be," said McIlroy, who won the CJ Cup on the PGA Tour last month after struggling badly during the majority of Europe's record Ryder Cup defeat.

"I want to be contending on Sundays in golf tournaments and feel like I'm back to playing the way I should and the way that will get me back contending."

McIlroy's bogey on 17 left England's Horsfield, twice a European Tour winner last year, briefly one ahead of the field after his 60-foot eagle putt at the 14th was followed by two further birdies on 15 and 16 before his final-hole mishap.

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption, Open champion Collin Morikawa moved into a share of the lead early in his round before his progress stalled but he remains on course to win the Race to Dubai

Race to Dubai leader Morikawa moved into a share of the lead after three birdies in his opening six holes put him on 11 under but the American parred his remaining 12 holes.

However, he remains in position to clinch the European number one spot with his nearest rival Billy Horschel sharing 37th spot on three under and third-placed Jon Rahm not competing this week.

Australia's Min Woo Lee and English trio Tyrrell Hatton, Matt Fitzpatrick and Paul Casey also went into this week's event still in contention to finish as European number one.

Fitzpatrick, who needs a victory and for Morikawa to finish outside the top nine, is sharing 13th place six behind McIlroy.

Hatton and Casey, who also need victories to have any hope of clinching the Race to Dubai title, are a further shot off the pace with Lee one further adrift.