Rory McIlroy earned a one-stroke lead over Louis Oosthuizen as the cream rose to the top in the third round at the WGC-HSBC Champions in Shanghai on Saturday.
McIlroy put on a driving clinic for most of the day, his accuracy and prodigious length off the tee an impressive sight at Sheshan International.
The Northern Irishman carded a bogey-free five-under-par 67 that could have been considerably better had his putter been hotter, but his performance nevertheless was enough to move within striking distance of his fourth victory of the year.
A precise wedge for a tap-in birdie at the par-five 18th allowed McIlroy to inch ahead of Oosthuizen at 15-under 201.
"I think if I can go out tomorrow and play similar to how I did today, I should have a good chance to win," McIlroy said.
"I probably played the best today that I've played all week. I drove the ball well, hitting my irons pretty good for the most part. I feel like I didn't quite get as much out of the round as I could have but I'm not going to complain.
"I'm in the lead going into tomorrow so I just need to rest up and try to get out there and play another good, solid round."
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