Abu Dhabi: Jon Rahm leads alone – McIlroy two shots back

TVS News AI, editorially supervised, presents Abu Dhabi: Jon Rahm leads alone – McIlroy two shots back.

A 66-round on Saturday moved Jon Rahm to the top of the Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship. The Spaniard finished the third round at 18 under par and goes into the final round on Sunday as the sole leader.

Tyrrell Hatton and Francesco Laporta are immediately behind Rahm. Both are only one shot behind. Rory McIlroy follows in fourth place at 16 under, two shots behind the Spaniard.

Rahm's 66 only creates a one-shot lead

The gap to the lead

The 66 was the direct reason for Rahm's sole lead. After three rounds, he stands at 18 under. Before that, there were still ties after the third round: Hatton and Laporta were each only one shot behind Rahm.

The lead is therefore clear, but by no means unassailable. Hatton and Laporta need just one shot to draw level with Rahm again. A par on the next round, meanwhile, would give them a one-shot lead. This calculation turns the small gap from 18 under to 17 under into a genuine final-round contest.

McIlroy's gap is slightly larger at two shots. He too remains within immediate reach of the lead, although he would need two fewer shots than Rahm to draw level.

McIlroy enters the final round from fourth place

Two shots behind the leader

McIlroy has played 16 under par after three rounds, leaving him the same distance from Rahm as reported by L’Équipe. Ouest-France also confirms that the Northern Irishman is fourth and two shots behind Rahm.

The two reports therefore describe the same situation. The difference lies less in the number of shots than in the ranking: Rahm is alone at the top, while McIlroy is positioned in the chasing group. The sources do not make a specific prediction for the final round.

What matters most for the assessment is how close the calculation is. After three rounds, only two shots separate the leader from McIlroy. A strong final round can therefore close the gap; however, the available figures do not prove how the tournament will end.

The French trio form the best team in the field

Joint 19th place

Martin Couvra, Julien Guerrier and Frédéric Lacroix are joint 19th after three rounds. All three have played ten under par, putting 10 under on their scorecards.

According to Ouest-France, they are the highest-placed Frenchmen. L’Équipe also names all three players and cites their joint 19th-place finish and their score of 10 under.

The tie refers to their positions after the third round. It does not mean that the three recorded the same score on every hole. For the tournament standings, the key point for now is that Couvra, Guerrier and Lacroix have the same number of shots under par after three of four rounds and jointly occupy the highest place among the French golfers.

The fourth round on Sunday will change the final positions

Three situations heading into the final

Before Sunday, the situation appears manageable at first glance: Rahm leads at 18 under, McIlroy follows in fourth place at 16 under, and the French trio share 19th place at 10 under. The main challengers, however, remain close behind Rahm: Hatton and Laporta are only one shot back.

According to L’Équipe, the Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship opens the first part of the final phase of the DP World Tour. After the tournament in Abu Dhabi, play continues in Dubai this weekend. In golf, a deficit of one or two shots before the final round means one thing above all: the order can still change.

For the players involved, the difference between first place, fourth place and 19th is nevertheless significant. Rahm enters the decisive round with the narrowest lead, McIlroy is two shots behind, and Couvra, Guerrier and Lacroix must improve their position in the field from their joint 10 under. Which places remain at the end will be decided by the fourth round on Sunday.