Antoine Rozner, sole leader, in the last part this Saturday with Rory McIlroy…

This third round of the DP World Tour Championship 2024 promises to be grandiose for French Golf. A Tricolor will start in the last part in the company of the most emblematic player from the Old Continent: Rory McIlroy. Show ahead!

LV, in Dubai

Antoine Roznerowner of an anthology round completed in 65 (-7) – best card of the week for the moment – ​​sits at the top of the leaderboard with a total score of -9 (135). He is a short length ahead of the Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy69 (-3) today, and the English Tyrrell Hattonwho posted the same card as his playing partner this Friday in Dubai.

Find the complete ranking and tee times for the 3rd round

As he explained to us just after signing this immaculate card, the Racingman played the perfect game. Without the slightest error. And when this intervened, he had the necessary resources to erase it and thus treat himself to a day that he will not soon forget.

This tour de force allows the Frenchman, who remains with two ultra convincing results (6th in Abu Dhabi, 4th in Korea), to be projected 2nd in the Race and thus be in possession of a ticket – certainly still very virtual – to evolve from next January on the PGA Tour and thus find Matthew Pavon et Victor Perez.

However, he will have to counter the attacks of his closest adversaries, and they are not born from the last rain. Rory McIlroy intends to do the double this Sunday at the Jumeirah Golf Estates. Victory and Race. The Northern Irishman will play his last game from 12:35 p.m. (9:35 a.m. in France). He had already been accompanied by a Frenchman in the last group here in Dubai on the Earth Coursenamely Mike Lorenzo-Vera in the 2nd round of the 2019 edition (won by Jon Rahmwith Lorenzo-Vera again in the last part on Sunday)!

We believed this Friday that the Briton was going to fold the tournament in this second round with a very masterful outing: four birdies on his first seven holes. But that was before the machine suddenly seized up with two close bogeys at 8 and 10. In a position to join Rozner at 18 with an eagle, he finally settled for a fifth and final birdie.

I'm a little disappointed not to have managed to confirm after such a good start. I started to miss a few fairways and then the rough is so thick. You lose all control of your golf ball if you hit it in there.

Rory McIlroy

« I'm a little disappointed not to have managed to confirm after such a good startregrets the world No. 3. I started to miss a few fairways and then the rough is so thick. You lose all control of your golf ball if you hit it in there. After the two bogeys, I was able to stabilize the ship, I had a few opportunities on 14 and 15. And then the last holes are quite difficult. When we are in the last groups, the greens start to get messed up at the end of the day. But hey, I'm in a good position to start the weekend. »

« I've felt comfortable here since the first time we played in 2009he continues. But the journey is different. I have to be better on the fairways. I did it on the first few holes, then I let go a little. I started to miss my throws a little to the left halfway through. But if you hit the fairways here, the greens are very responsive and you give yourself a lot of chances. I repeat but I have good chances for the weekend. »

A grumpy Tyrrell Hatton…

Like McIlroy, Tyrrell Hatton posted two cards of 67 and 69. Like his teammate Ryder Cuphe is in ambush before the famous Moving Day dear to our English friends. But that doesn't really seem to suit him…

« To be honest, I don't feel very comfortablewhispers the player LIFE Golf. Each stroke seemed a little difficult. -3 is nevertheless a fairly acceptable score, all things considered. But naturally, we always want to improve. Anyway, in summary, I'm pretty frustrated. »

« The positive point despite everything is my position (au leaderboard) while I don't feel like I've played the kind of golf I'm capable of. So, yeah, hopefully this weekend I can find something and play a little better. That would make it all a little more exciting for me. I just hope something happens. »

He will start in the penultimate part (from 12:25 p.m. local) with his colleague from LIV, the Chilean Joaquin Niemannvery solid with his 67 (-5) of the day and only fourth at -7 (137). They also authors a 67, Rasmus Højgaard, Jesper Svensson et Shane Lowry occupy fifth place at -6 with the Japanese Keita Nakajimatwice 69.

Ugo Coussaud with a world golf monument

Also owner of this 69 brand, Ugo Coussaud appears in 16th place at -3 (141). Apart from an uncontrolled slip on the par 5 of the 14th (double bogey), the native of Angoulême is rather satisfied with his day. He will play this third round with a monument of world golf, the Australian Adam Scott. Kick-off at 11:20 a.m. (8:20 a.m. in France).

« It's a great dayhe whispers. I did almost everything right. Except for one hole, which is a bit of a shame. No, it was very good golf. On the par 3s, I hit some very good iron shots, I found myself in birdie position several times. I only got one back (au 4), but I made some easy pars. My big game was better than yesterday, I putted well too. This bodes well for the future. »

I was drifting badly, I couldn't find the fairways, I spent my time refocusing or saving pars, when it wasn't bogeys…

Romain Langasque

Beyond the top 20 after two rounds (21st at -2 with two cards of 71), Romain Langasquewho hopes to achieve a big success this week in Dubai, remains optimistic. He is currently projected 22nd in the Race. However, this is insufficient to aim for the PGA Tour in 2025…

« On the first 5-6 holes, I couldn't find my rhythm at allhe analyzes, lucidly. I was drifting badly, I couldn't find the fairways, I spent my time refocusing or saving pars, when it wasn't bogeys… In short, it's not the ideal start. I didn't know if I was going to find the resources but I stayed focused on what works or what needs to work. »

“And from the 8th onwards, it was really good golf. Fairways, greens, birdie opportunities. There's a bit of a bitter taste to end up with a bogey at 18 but quite honestly, it's a difficult hole today. The putting into play is very hard to take the fairway. This remains a 2nd card under par. I'll keep that in mind. »

Le leaderboard

The leaderboard of other French people

Photo : Andrew Redington / GETTY IMAGES EUROPE / Getty Images via AFP