Abu Dhabi (AFP)

The last day of the Abu Dhabi Championship, counting for the European circuit, promises to be scorching Sunday, with Rory McIlroy, Tyrrell Hatton and Tommy Fleetwood grouped together in two shots after three rounds of very high level.

The former Northern Irish world number 1, already a four-Major winner at 31, surrendered a 67 card on Saturday, like Fleetwood, to take a lead over Hatton and two over Fleetwood, prominent members like him of the European Ryder Cup team.

McIlroy, currently 6th in the world, has never won this richly endowed Abu Dhabi tournament, but has finished it four times second and three times third, in 10 appearances.

He was forced to pull out all the stops to get past Hatton, thanks to an eagle on the 10th hole, entering an approach, then two birdies in a row on the 15th and 16th.

In the wake of a very successful end of the year 2020, five French players are in the Top 25 of this big tournament before the last round, in particular Alexander Lévy who made a hole in one Saturday, on the 15th.

Ranking of the Abu Dhabi Championship after the 3rd round on Saturday (par 72)

1. Rory McIlroy (IDN) -13 (64-72-67)

2. Tyrrell Hatton (ENG) -12 (65-68-71)

3. Tommy Fleetwood (ENG) -11 (71-67-67)

4. Marc Warren (ECO) -10 (72-66-68)

.

David Lipsky (USA) -10 (72-66-68)

6. Rafael Cabrera Bello (ESP) -9 (67-67-73)

7. Jason Scrivener (AUS) -8 (67-70-71)

8. Christian Bezuidenhout (RSA) -7 (71-71-67)

.

George Coetzee (RSA) -7 (70-71-68)

.

Mikko Korhonen (FIN) -7 (69-69-71)

.

Mike Lorenzo-Vera (FRA) -7 (69-72-68)

.

Wade Ormsby (AUS) -7 (69-70-70)

.

Chris Paisley (ENG) -7 (72-68-69)

.

Matt Wallace (ENG) -7 (68-70-71)

.

Fabrizio Zanotti (PAR) -7 (66-71-72)

16. Victor Pérez (FRA) -6 (68-73-69)

...

22. Romain Langasque (FRA) -5 (67-70-74)

.

Victor Dubuisson (FRA) -5 (73-69-69)

.

Alexander Lévy (FRA) -5 (72-70-69)

42. Antoine Rozner (FRA) -2 (71-72-71)

52. Benjamin Hébert (FRA) -1 (68-73-74)

56. Julien Guerrier (FRA) By (74-68-74)

© 2021 AFP