Rory McIlroy left little doubt on Saturday that he was the best man on the golf course at Doral.
McIlroy was the only player among the top half-dozen contenders to break 70 at the WGC-Cadillac and his four-under par 68 gave him a three-shot lead going into Sunday’s final round.
McIlroy, who started the day two behind overnight leader Adam Scott, will take a three shot lead to the final 18 over Scott and Dustin Johnson and he’ll be five ahead of Phil Mickelson, Bubba Watson and Danny Willett.
“It was good,” McIlroy said of his round. “I played really solid round of golf — no mistakes. Obviously I need to do more of the same tomorrow (Sunday).”
McIlroy’s play has received a major boost from his switch to the cross-hand putting stroke. “It feels really good,” he said of his new left-hand-low grip. “So nice to make a putt like that at the last hole,” he said after getting up-and-down from a greenside bunker at the 18th and he holed a tricky little four-footer to preserve the bogey-free round.
Scott wasn’t as fortunate. A poor drive at the 17th hole led to a bogey that dropped him back to nine-under and broke his streak of 16 straight rounds at par or better. It also cost Scott his spot in the final twosome on Sunday. That went to Dustin Johnson, who also bogeyed the 18th to fall back to nine-under with Scott. Johnson will go with McIlroy while Scott will play with Phil Mickelson
Mickelson pieced together a two-under 70 and is five behind along with Bubba Watson (71) and Danny Willett (72).
McIlroy will be after a 12th PGA Tour win on Sunday and a victory would move him up to No. 2 in the world rankings.
