Tyrrell Hatton in the hunt in Dubai as New Zealand's Daniel Hillier takes third round lead
Tyrrell Hatton in the hunt in Dubai as New Zealand's Daniel Hillier takes third round lead
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Defending champion Rory McIlroy is some way back but his Ryder Cup teammate Hatton looks a strong contender. England's Tyrrell Hatton says he "needs some putts to drop" if he is to overhaul Daniel Hillier at the Dubai Desert Classic on Sunday. Hatton held the clubhouse lead on 12 under after a round of 68 before New Zealand's Hillier birdied the 17th and 18th to take a one-shot advantage into the final round.
![[Daniel Hillier leads by a stroke as he searches for a second DP World Tour win]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/01/18/15/02/Daniel-Hillier.jpeg)
Ryder Cup star Hatton had laid down an early signal of intent when he drove the green at the second and converted from eight feet for eagle but then made three bogeys in six holes from the fourth. However, a flawless back nine featured close-range gains at the 10th, 11th and 16th before he converted from 20 feet at the last.
"It was pretty tough out there to be honest," he said. "The wind was swirling around which made it hard to get the right club at times, especially around the middle of the round. "It felt like it really picked up for a moment there and certainly made things challenging. But I'm happy with the finish. So (I'm in a) good position going into tomorrow.
"It's been nice to see a few putts go in. Obviously I've missed a few as well but yeah, I need some putts to drop tomorrow.". Hillier had been four shots clear at one stage on Saturday after three birdies in his first five holes, before recovering from a mid-round wobble with back-to-back gains to finish, leaving him dreaming of a "life-changing" victory.
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