Rory McIlroy recovers after early slip in his third round in Antalya

World number three Rory McIlroy bounced back from a first bogey of the week to maintain his bid for a fourth win of the year in the Turkish Airlines Open on Saturday.

Rory McIlroy recovers after early slip in his third round in Antalya

World number three Rory McIlroy bounced back from a first bogey of the week to maintain his bid for a fourth win of the year in the Turkish Airlines Open on Saturday.

McIlroy has targeted at least one victory from his three events in the Final Series as he looks to win the Race to Dubai for the third time in four years.

The 26-year-old was delighted with back-to-back and “stress-free” opening rounds of 67 in Antalya to lie four shots behind halfway leader Jaco van Zyl, crucially saving par on the 18th on Friday despite taking a penalty drop after driving into a bush.

McIlroy opened his third round with two pars before three-putting the third from long range after his approach had spun back down the green, but the four-time major winner promptly birdied the par-five fourth and holed from four feet for another on the sixth.

At 11 under par, McIlroy remained four shots behind Van Zyl, the 36-year-old South African having also made the requisite birdie on the fourth, with England’s Chris Wood a shot behind after picking up shots on the second and fourth.

Seeking his first European Tour title in his 370th event, Richard Bland was 13 under after following birdies on the third and fourth with a bogey on the fifth.

McIlroy was furious with himself after his second bogey of the day on the 10th, throwing his putter at his bag - and appropriately missing - after three-putting from 40 feet.

A birdie on the par-five 11th took the four-time major winner back to 11 under par and that was good enough to still only be four behind Van Zyl, who had played his first 28 holes in 16 under and the last 18 in one over.

Lee Westwood had also birdied the 11th to move alongside McIlroy on 11 under and saved par on the 12th thanks to a superb chip from left of the green.

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