20 January 2024 , 15:43
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Rory McIlroy has revealed keeping his eyes away from the leaderboard helped him battle his way back into contention at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic on Saturday. McIlroy finds himself two shots behind leader Cameron Young, but it is a deficit the Northern Irishman would have been more than pleased with at the start of the day.
After a steady opening two rounds, McIlroy kicked off his third round 10 shots behind leader, Young, with his chances of defending his Dubai crown drifting. Keen to keep himself in the mix though, the Northern Irishman showed exactly why he has been a three-time champion at Emirates Golf Club.
McIlroy carded a faultless nine-under-par round of 63 on Saturday morning, matching his second best round at the Majlis course, a feat he first achieved at the event in 2014.
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The four-time major winner knew he needed to fly out the blocks to get himself within touching distance of Young, and that he did. After early birdies at the first and third, McIlroy then added three more at seven, eight and nine to sit at five-under for the day at the turn.
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A fourth birdie on the bounce followed at the 10th, before birdie number seven then came at the par-five 13th. The momentum then slowed down slightly, but he made up for that at the final hole, holing a remarkable putt from off the green to finish his day with an eagle three.
Those keeping an eye on the leaderboard throughout the day would have noticed McIlroy’s charge up the list, but the man himself opted to keep focus on his game. Speaking to reporters afterwards, McIlroy admitted he tried his best not to look up at the scores during his third round charge, after similar checks at last year’s Masters cost him dearly.
Rory McIlroy is two shots off the lead (2024 Getty Images)"It's head down and concentration," McIlroy said. "Those guys are so far, you know, playing a different part of the golf course and I am so far ahead because of the holes I've played." Reminiscing about making the mistake a last year's Masters, he went on: "I tell the story of being 10 behind at the Masters on the Friday.
"I looked at the leaderboard and then started to push, hit shots that I shouldn't have hit and all of a sudden you go from a couple of shots out of contention to missing the cut. So I think for me that was a big learning [curve] because there is no point looking at the leaderboard on a Friday or even Saturday.
"I knew I was playing well and I was climbing the leaderboard, but where anyone else in relation for me was irrelevant, but back nine tomorrow I might have to have a peak and see where we stand."
McIlroy will be back in action in tomorrow's final group, joining Cam Young at 8:39am (GMT)