ONLY THE LIP of the cup denied Rory McIlroy a stunning albatross finish on day three of the Deutsche Bank Championship.
But the world number five sits nicely in contention ahead of Monday’s final round at TPC Boston.
McIlroy fired a five-under-par 66 to take an early share of the clubhouse lead with Louis Oosthuizen, but with a host of the leaders still to finish their rounds, it is likely that their mark of nine-under will be overtaken.
A good day could have been even better for McIlroy who opened with a bogey before making five birdies in his next seven holes, including four-in-a-row between the fifth and eighth holes.
His charge stalled when a penalty at the par-four 12th cost him a double bogey but a birdie at 15 followed by an eagle at the last — where his second shot clipped the lip and rolled to three feet — leaves him right in the mix for the $1.5m first prize and a crucial FedEx Cup boost.
Rory McIlroy ... 210 yards ... for albatross ...
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) September 4, 2016
Incredible. https://t.co/lZwfDtL46c
Paul Casey and Kevin Chappell share the lead on -12 through nine holes of their third round.
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