• Shanghai Masters, Round Three

Brilliant McIlroy opens up three-shot lead

ESPN staff
October 29, 2011
Rory McIlroy was bogey-free on Saturday © PA Photos
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Rory McIlroy boosted his chances of winning the Shanghai Masters by shooting a third-round 65 to move three shots clear at the top of the leaderboard with one round to play.

The US Open champion was in inspired form, immediately finding his groove with two birdies in his first three holes. Two more followed before the turn and he continued to dominate coming in as he fired a bogey-free round of seven-under.

The Northern Irishman is out on his own at 18-under for the week, but Anthony Kim is only three strokes adrift after matching McIlroy's effort of 65 on day three. A hat-trick of birdies from the seventh gave his round a timely lift, the American riding the wave to pick up four more shots down the stretch, although a bogey at the last prevented him from carding the lowest score of the day.

Englishman Ian Poulter and Seung-yul Noh are giving chase, with both players impressing with equal scores of 67 to leave the former on 11-under and the latter four behind McIlroy on 14-under-par.

Lee Westwood is tied for sixth after signing for a second consecutive 70, which included four birdies and two bogeys, and almost certainly has left himself too much to do from seven-under. Padraig Harrington is another who has a mountain to climb after an error-strewn 73 saw him fall to six-under.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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