Dubai Invitational: Rory McIlroy is three shots behind third-round leader Nacho Elvira

Rory McIlroy remains in contention to start 2026 with a tournament win as he sits three shots behind leader Nacho Elvira with one round to play in the Dubai Invitational.

World number two McIlroy shot four birdies and a bogey in a third-round 68 at Dubai Creek Resort on Saturday to finish fifth at five under par.

Spaniard Elvira also posted a 68 to move two shots clear at the top of the leaderboard as he aims for the third DP World Tour win of his career.

Irishman Shane Lowry, who shared the lead with Elvira after the second round, struggled to reach 70 points to share second place with Englishman Marcus Armitage (68) and South African Dylan Frittelli, who got 66 points.

Lowry got off to a disappointing start to his round as he birdied putts on the third and sixth holes, before picking up birdies on the seventh, ninth and 17th holes.

The former Open champion is hoping to claim his first singles title since winning the BMW PGA Championship in 2022.

McIlroy told Sky Sports he was using his first competitive match of the year as a “training week” to “knock off the rust” ahead of next week’s Dubai Desert Classic, but added he was still keen to get the win.

The five-time major winner shot seven birdies in an opening-round 66 to lead after the first round but hit four shots into the water in a sloppy second-round 74 on Friday.

“A little better than yesterday, I kept the ball dry instead of the four water balls I had [in the second round]McIlroy said after his round on Saturday.

“It’s been a tough enough day, the winds are picking up again, maybe not as much as they did on Friday.

“I got off to a slow start but I stayed patient and hung in there and was rewarded with three birdies on the back nine. It’s great to get into the final round of competition, with a chance to win a championship.”

Scotsman Eoin Ferguson and Englishman Matt Wallace reached a level of less than three points, while Tommy Fleetwood moved to the same level after following his goal of 78 points on Friday with a score of 66 in the third round.