McIlroy closes on top spot

Northern Irishman two clear heading into final round of Honda Classic



Rory McIlroy is on course to be the new world number one as he claimed a two-shot lead after the third round of the Honda Classic in Florida.

The 22-year-old shot a joint best-of-the-day 66 to take him to 11 under par for the tournament and if he completes the win on Sunday he will dethrone Luke Donald at the top of the rankings. His closest challengers heading into the final round are Tom Gillis and Harris English, while halfway leader Justin Rose could only manage a one-over 71 on Saturday that left him in joint fourth place and four behind.

McIlroy recorded a hat-trick of birdies starting on the long third, two-putting there and then holing from 22 and 10 feet.He was two clear at that point but promptly bogeyed the next two holes, coming up short of the green on the sixth and three-putting the short seventh.

That gave the lead to Gillis, who on the eighth took a shoe and sock off and rolled up his trouser leg to play his ball out of the edge of the water and holed from 33 feet for par. He followed that with a 28-footer for another par, birdied the 10th from five feet and then rescued a further par from 33 feet again on the next. - http://www1.skysports.com/