• Quail Hollow Championship, Round Three

McIlroy storms up the leaderboard

Rory McIlroy carded the lowest score of the day at Quail Hollow © Getty Images

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Rory McIlroy hit nine birdies as played his way into contention on the third day of the Quail Hollow Championship.

After narrowly making the cut on Friday after rounds of 72 and 73, McIlroy carded a six-under 66 to move within four shots of leader Billy Mayfair.

McIlroy was on seven-under going into the final hole, but a bogey saw him drop back to five-under-par for the tournament. After missing the cut in his previous two tournaments, McIlroy was delighted with his performance.

"You have to go out and try to make as many birdies you can and I was able to to that today," said McIlroy. "I was fortunate to make the cut to be honest but I feel like I made the most of it today."

"Especially after missing my last two cuts at Houston and the Masters it was nice to get out there and shoot a good number. It should give me confidence going into the next few weeks."

Mayfair, who had to qualify for the event at Quail Hollow, takes a two-shot lead into the final day after some impressive putting helped him maintain his status at the top of the leaderboard with a 71.

World No. 2 Phil Mickelson is ominously poised on seven-under, two shots off the pace after a third round 71. The Masters champion was eight-under but slipped back after a bogey on the 17th. He shares second place with local favourite Davis Love III. Love, who was born in Charlotte, carded a flawless 68 to move to seven-under.

J. J. Henry and Dustin Johnson both dropped a shot on the run-in but remain in contention on six-under , Henry bogeyed the 18th, while fellow American Johnson slipped up on the tricky par-three 17th.

McIlroy is one of five players tied for seventh, with Anthony Kim, Paul Goydos, Jim Furyk and Bill Haas joining the Northern Irishman on five-under.

Englishmen Lee Westwood, Ross Fisher and Greg Owen, who all narrowly made the cut on one-over, all carded sub-par rounds to improve on their opening two rounds. Westwood and Fisher went one-under for the day to move to level-par from 54 holes, while Fisher's three-under 69 saw him move up to two-under.

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