ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — Jon Rahm will take a one-shot lead into the final day of the Abu Dhabi Championship after shooting a 6-under 66 in the third round Saturday.
Rory McIlroy had shared the lead with the Spaniard but made bogey at the par-3 No. 17 to drop into fourth place on a 94-degree day at Yas Links.
McIlroy’s 67 included a double-bogey six at No. 10. That blemish broke up a sequence of seven birdies between Nos. 7 and 14.
The two shots McIlroy now trails by equals the penalty he took Thursday for improving his lie at the 12th, where a double-bogey six instead became an eight.
“I have a good shot at it [Sunday], which is all I want,” McIlroy said, acknowledging he was “a little rueful” at chances missed. “I’m going to have to go out and shoot a low one, something in the mid to low 60s to get it done.”
Rahm’s 18-under total of 198 was one ahead of his playing partners Saturday, Tyrrell Hatton and Francesco Laporta, who each carded a 67. McIlroy was two shots back.
Adam Scott continued his bogey-free tournament with a 66 to be 15 under in fifth place, one shot behind McIlroy. That left three Masters winners in the top five on the leaderboard: Rahm (2023 edition), McIlroy (2025, ’26) and Scott (2013).
The two-week playoffs on the European tour saw 70 players enter the $9 million Abu Dhabi Championship before 50 top-ranked players advance to the $10 million finals event next week in Dubai.
McIlroy is currently projected to rise to No. 2 in the Road to Dubai rankings behind Eugenio Chacarra, who fired a 5-under 67 on Saturday. Chacarra is tied for 29th place at 8 under overall. The Northern Irishman is seeking a fifth straight tour rankings title and an eighth in his career, which would tie the record of Colin Montgomerie.
