McIlroy lies fifth in Dubai Invitational, Elvira leads
Dubai, January 19
Nacho Elvira took a two-shot advantage as he stayed steady in breezy conditions on the third day of the final round of the 2026 Dubai Invitational.
The Spaniard shared the overnight second-round lead with Shane Lowry at five under, and he negotiated an early bogey with four birdies to card a steady 68 on Moving Day at Dubai Creek Resort.
Elvira is seeking his third DP World Tour title after successes at the 2021 Cazoo Open supported by Gareth Bale and the 2024 Soudal Open.
At eight under, he leads by two from a stellar chasing pack at seven under, with Dylan Frittelli sharing second place after a sparkling 66 alongside Lowry and Englishman Marcus Armitage.
Rory McIlroy (68) was Tied-fifth at 5-under total for 54 holes. McIlroy opened with a birdie before dropping a shot at the fourth on a steady front nine, but gains at the tenth, 13th and 16th took him into contention.
Frittelli was bogey-free in his 66 thanks to a hat-trick of birdies from the third before further gains at the 11th and last.
Armitage rolled in a birdie effort from 21 feet at the 18th to climb alongside Frittelli at six under.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Frittelli's bogey-free 66 is seriously impressive. That's the round of the day for me. Shows how important consistency is. The final round is going to be a great watch.
Dubai always hosts such fantastic events. The Creek Resort is a beautiful course. As an Indian fan, I follow these tournaments closely. Wish we had more Indian players in contention at this level, but Shubhankar Sharma and others are getting there! 🇮🇳
McIlroy is only three back. He's perfectly positioned. With his experience, he can definitely chase down Elvira. All about who handles the pressure on Sunday.
Respectfully, the article is a bit dry—just listing scores and stats. Would be more engaging with some analysis of the players' strategies or how the wind affected club selection. Just my two paise.
Armitage's birdie putt on 18 from 21 feet must have been clutch! Those are the moments that define a tournament. Great to see such a packed leaderboard heading into the final round.
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