Ryder Cup star takes five shot advantage over rankings rival
A late meltdown from Rory McIlroy allowed Lee Westwood to take pole position in the battle for the title of European number one.
The 20-year-old, who held a lead of more than £114,000 heading into the season-ending Dubai World Championship, bogeyed the final three holes to allow Westwood a five-shot advantage going into the final round.
McIlroy briefly drew level with the Englishman after recording his sixth birdie of the day at the 15th, but an errant shot at the next that saw his ball finish on the edge of the lake started his downfall.
Westwood played exemplary golf, meanwhile, a hat-trick of birdies from the ninth maintaining his push for the title while another at the 14th nudged him back into a clear lead.
With McIlroy slipping down the leaderboard Westwood layed up at the final hole, and it paid dividends as he holed another putt from 15 feet for his sixth birdie of the day and a flawless round of 66.
Confident
"This is as good as I feel like I've swung it almost all year and when I was winning a lot - in the last century! - I had this kind of attitude," said Westwood.
"I would not be outwardly cocky, but I am just being more confident. I've had 30 wins and I think I've finished tournaments off more than anybody else on the leaderboard.
"I don't mind putting myself up there to be shot at. You back your ability.
"I'm paying no attention to the Race to Dubai (money list). All I am concerned about is this tournament.
"I've told you that all week and I'm proving that's the way to go about things."
It gave Westwood a two-shot lead in the tournament with playing partner Ross McGowan also carding a 66, keeping a bogey off his card for a second day in succession.
McGowan, who claimed his first tour title in Madrid last month, went to the turn in 31 after picking up four successive birdies from the sixth, and another at the par-five 14th helped maintain pressure on the leader.
Westwood had started slowly despite a two-shot overnight cushion and needed to hole out from 18 feet on the first after bunkering his approach.
A curling 30-footer at the fourth took him into double figures before a sparkling burst around the turn saw him climb back top the top of the leaderboard.
Pressure came from further back with Padraig Harrington and Sergio Garcia both reaching 10 under par, the pair eventually recording 69s to lie five and six shots back respectively.
Bunkered
But all eyes were on McIlroy as he caught Westwood by two-putting the long 14th and making a 30-footer on the next - but it was only for a minute.
Westwood was bunkered in two at the 14th, splashed out 18 feet short, but made it to move to 14 under and then saw his rival from Northern Ireland retreat.
The pair are now the only two players in with a chance of sealing the inaugural Race To Dubai crown, with Martin Kaymer and Ross Fisher languishing on two under after rounds of 72 and 70 respectively.
But McIlroy will need to fly out of the blocks on Sunday morning if he is to put any pressure on Westwood, who is on the brink of being named European number one for the first time since he won the Order of Merit in 2000.
"I got myself in the position I wanted to be in, but after that finish I've left myself an uphill task," said McIlroy, who is trying to become the youngest number one since Seve Ballesteros in 1976.
"But I've still got a shot to win this - I feel a low round is in me and I feel it's necessary. The guys ahead of me are playing well.
"On 16 I got a flyer, on 17 I left myself a tricky two-putt and the last was just a bad third shot."