Jon Rahm produced an impressive back nine to surge into a one-shot lead at the 2026 Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship.
Related: Rahm, Hatton join Laporta at Abu Dhabi summit
The two-time Major Champion went out in the final group after sharing the lead with Tyrrell Hatton and Francesco Laporta and despite a slow start to his third round, he burst into life after the turn.
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Rahm went birdie-eagle-birdie from the tenth and added another gain at the 15th to catapult to the top at 18 under with a brilliant round of 66.
The Spaniard has five Rolex Series wins to his name and will hope to get his name on the trophy at Yas Links to move one ahead of good friend and rival Hatton.
Laporta and Hatton will once again play with Rahm in the final group on Sunday with both reaching the summit at points throughout the day. They sit one shot back at 17 under par, with Laporta going bogey-free and Hatton mixing six birdies and one dropped shot in their rounds of 67.
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Rory McIlroy‘s more adventurous 67 included eight birdies, a double bogey and a bogey, as he got to 16 under, while Adam Scott, who is yet to drop a shot at Yas Links, is at 15 under after six birdies in his third round.
Spain’s David Puig mixed six birdies and two dropped shots to sit one stroke further back with England’s Mathew Jordan also at 14 under.
Player Quotes
Jon Rahm: Well, it was a good day overall. Just Holes 4, 5, and 6 got away from me for a second. A couple bad swings, one bogey I and was able to minimize the other two. From then on, I played some decent golf, I would say all day, except those three holes. I was in a good position on every single hole with a chance for birdie.
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Fantastic round. Wishing I would have hit a couple better putts in the last two holes, right, just misread those two putts. But overall, obviously very good golf.
Yeah, I think you need to be aware that both things can happen, right. I think I remember Tyrrell, the first day was even par through nine and shot five under. Even Rory himself yesterday was maybe one to two under going up to eight or nine got out with four or five, six birdies in a row. It can happen.
It can also happen that you have a few bad holes, but was able to minimize that and make a birdie on seven and got things going again.
It would be amazing (to win). It’s been a good year so far. But to win again on the DP World Tour would be special. To add to the Rolex Series tally and make it six would be fantastic, as well.
