Rory Mcilroy Eyes Final-round Surge In Dubai To Chase Down Leader Daniel Hillier

New Zealand's Daniel Hillier birdied his last two holes to edge ahead by one shot going into the final round of the Dubai Desert Classic, while Rory McIlroy moved to within seven strokes of the lead.

At the Majlis course of Emirates Golf Club, Hillier enjoyed a three-shot lead midway through the back nine as swirling wind made for tough scoring conditions.

However, the world No.223 made three successive bogeys from the 13th to 15th holes to open the doors for his rivals before the strong finish took him to 13-under par 203 aggregate.

'It was a grind. I figured it was going to be that at the start of the day with all that wind,' said Hillier.

'It was tough but I enjoyed it out there and looking forward to having a crack at it tomorrow... A win would be life-changing.'