Round 3 Highlights | 2026 Hero Dubai Desert Classic

Morning all. Just a nice 8-iron left-hand side. The flag's back right. Good chance to get it in there within 20 feet. You don't see many birdies on this par 4. Well, you might find one there. Ah, superb shot. High cut. Just feathering it in, as Radar said, from left to right. That'll work nicely for Victor Hovland. Surely won't be this time. He'll have learned. Same putt as 6. Exactly the same putt as 6. About 8 feet left to right. Missed it low right. Deitry, another tremendous driver. And Chipper, on this occasion anyway. Little ridge there. Never anywhere else. That's a sprightly start. Disappointing. He'll be with that. But it's going to break that string of pars. And maybe that sets him up now. Two and three golden opportunities before. Well, pars your friend really. Four through the turn. Taking advantage with the wedge in hand. That's a beauty. Up. Green side at the first to Shaper. He's got a lovely short game. Thank you very much. Doesn't even need to get his putter out. Well done. It was picking up a bit of speed. Are we glad it hit that middle of that pin? Absolutely magnificent. That's a man that's feeling really good about his swing. Because the reason they're going long, they just don't want to leave him in that front bunker. Great chance to open with a three. What a start from Frankie there. Just how he drew it up in his mind. That ball was sitting down a tiny bit. But he's done ever so well. Really dug down into it. What a great start from Francesco. Nice lie. 62 back flag. He's judged that beautifully. Obviously he couldn't put that pinch of spin on it from the lie he had. But it doesn't stop him getting the desired result. Computer game golf so far, Dom. Picture perfect way to play the first two holes from Francesco. Perfect tee shot. Just a wedge in from McElroy to 14. Not a good chance, but he's missed plenty of these today. Can he make this one? Just get to four. Oh, just caught enough of the hole. I'll tell you what. I thought that was a difficult shot. He's made it look easy. I saw Nikolai miss a very similar putt. Just low. Not the save for Frankie. Comes bolting out the gates. He wants to double figures very quickly. Short game magic required here from Hassan. Not a lot of room. Very nearly. Hold another. Hole's pretty flat. Don't see many putts hold on this green. There he goes. Sucker pin. He's very aggressive. He's got a great day going. This is one to 15 feet right of the flagstick. Well, that's not a pass right. To Pooch. Off the right. Is it too high? No, the pace is perfect. Another body for Pooch. That's 16 greens in regulation. I was going to say 33 putts, but now 34 putts. That's a fantastic shot. Accuracy and distance control together. And another good chance to come for Patrick Reid. In all likelihood, it's Rory's chances of a fifth Hero Dubai Desert Classic title. Gone. Great judgment of the distance. Patrick Reid back into a share of the lead. Very nicely done. Good up and down for Victor Hovland. So he's within a couple. Not too bad. Lies OK. Sullivan's chipped it six foot by. This will be mighty fine. Better than that. Once again, the short game skills of Patrick Reid in evidence. A chip in birdie. Take him one ahead of Molinari. He's done nicely. He's done the exact right thing. Left himself the uphill putt. A really good chance to polish off a really good round of golf today. Already six under. That would be for a 65. And to tie the low round of the week. Well, he's done it before here on the matchless course. And you think he's got another chance tomorrow. Strange position to be in, but a good lie. This shouldn't cost him that bad bounce. This will release. Only seven under the par five so far this week. I just want to have clarification that you're not seeing it wrong. He's a great putter. It's all very orthodox. When he gets a sniff, he's like a terrier. Just snapping at your heels the whole time. He'll never let go. Into the draft. But the angle is fantastic. Shouldn't be an issue. Beautiful. Yes, it was. That's exactly what it was. An excellent result with a poor tee shot. He's got the shape on it. Has he taken a bit of distance off it? Goodness me. Goodness me. That is two very impressive tee shots. He makes it as the best. Straight putt. Full power. Very nice. Oh, wouldn't you just know it? It's a horrible bogey six. Well done. Lovely round of golf. Quite a nasty downslope with quite a thick lie. Reid needs to play one. Has. Good as he can do. No mistake. It's a fine up and down. And he moves four shots clear at the top. Molinari has this to drop just the one shot up ahead. That's a big putt. He missed one of a similar length on the previous hole. And David Puj. Well played it nicely. So has David Puj. Look at this. That was sensational. Tyrell Hatton for a closing birdie. It has been a poor day for the defending champion. Too little too late in terms of going back to back here. 76 on Saturday. New 58 in the bag this week. But this should be. The 54. Looks loaded with spin this. Lovely. Sullivan 17 birdie putt. There's one of those two. But that's the great thing about this. Wonderful carlet design. It's another very, very good putt. Because he's got it. Below the hole means the next one. Is a much easier putt than it could have been. Patrick Reid will take. A four shot lead into the final day. Patrick another fabulous day here. At the Emirates Golf Club. A 67. Trying to give us an evaluation of the day out there. Yeah. Obviously at the end. It was definitely. You know solid and good score at the end. But yeah. They're early in the round. It just didn't really settle out. Even after the birdies on two and three. It was just kind of one of those things. That the swing didn't feel a hundred percent. But I was missing it. You know where I needed to. And just allowing my putter to work. And then you know. It kind of clicked there. When I actually hit a really good drive on eight. I mean and on that point on. From there I felt like the swing was really solid. And kind of locked in. And I was able to kind of take advantage of those par fives. You said your swing felt really solid. It does seem. That all facets of your game. Are on point at the moment. Is there one specifically. Something that's really pleasing you the most at the moment. Yeah. I think the biggest thing right now is driving. I feel like I'm driving the ball a little better right now. And. You know. Early this week. Just seeing a couple putts go in. Last year. I felt like it was just kind of one of those. Kind of. Half of the seasons where. Like I was doing a lot of things really well. Like I was hitting a lot of good putts. The balls just weren't going in. There was a lot of lip outs. And burned edges rather than falling. And. You know. Once I saw a couple go in this week. It just seems like. The putter's back. Behaving. Doing what it's supposed to. And then. You know. It just allows me kind of free up the rest of my golf game. Top ten last year. Year before you were runner up. How excited tomorrow. Are you. The chance of getting one better. Oh. I mean. You're always excited. Showing up on a Sunday. With a lead. Yeah. That's what I feel like. All of us live for. As players. As you know. As competitors. Is to have a chance to win on Sundays. And you know. Play late on Sundays. And you know. Just battle out with all the guys. And you know. I know it's not going to be easy. It never is. It doesn't matter how big of a lead you have. But you know. I can't wait for it. I'm looking forward to tomorrow. And just you know. Hopefully just kind of go out there. And just keep doing what I'm doing. Plugging along. Hitting fairways. And just make some greens.