Saturday 26 January 2019 14:57, UK
Bryson DeChambeau birdied three of the last six holes to take a one-shot lead into the final round of the Dubai Desert Classic.
DeChambeau posted a bogey-free back nine at Emirates Golf Club to close out a four-under 68 which took him to 16 under after 54 holes, one ahead of defending champion Haotong Li.
Matt Wallace is a further two strokes back in a share of third alongside Ernie Els, a three-time winner in Dubai, with overnight joint-leader Lucas Herbert part of a group four off the pace.
Beginning the day in a share of the lead, DeChambeau opened with five straight pars and saw Alvaro Quiros move ahead after the Spaniard birdied three of his first five holes.
DeChambeau made a close-range gain at the sixth but found water off the next tee and missed a five-footer to save par at the eighth, with the back-to-back bogeys seeing him slip three off the pace.
The American responded by holing a 20-footer at the ninth and he added a two-putt birdie at the par-five next, as Quiros opened his back nine with successive gains to stay ahead.
Quiros dropped a shot at the 12th and three-putted the par-five next for par - where DeChambeau made birdie - before failing to get up and down to save par at the 14th as he slipped a shot off the lead.
DeChambeau missed a birdie chance from four feet at the 14th but made one from a similar distance at the next to edge ahead, as Li cancelled out a bogey at the 16th to finish with back-to-back birdies and set the clubhouse target at 15 under.
Quiros converted from close range at the 17th to move within two of the lead but found water with his approach to the par-five last to card a closing double-bogey and slip four off the pace, while DeChambeau moved ahead by following a three-foot birdie at the 17th with a final-hole par.
Wallace carded a three-under 69 to get to 13 under alongside Els, who posted a bogey-free 70, with Quiros joined four strokes back by Herbert, Thorbjorn Olesen and Kalle Samooja.
Herbert received a two-stroke penalty mid-round for improving his lie in a bunker at the par-five third, resulting in a double-bogey, before he birdied the first four holes on the back nine on his way to a 72.
Jordan Smith and first-round leader Matt Fitzpatrick are part of a group on 11 under, with Andrew 'Beef' Johnston a further stroke back following a round-of-the-day 65.
Watch the final round of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic live on Sunday from 8.30am on Sky Sports Golf and Sky Sports Main Event.
