Matthew Fitzpatrick hits out of a bunker and onto the 17th green during the third round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational on Saturday in Orlando, Fla. Fitzpatrick takes a one-shot lead into the final round.ORLANDO, Fla. - Rory McIlroy seems to have everything going his way at Bay Hill except recent history.
With three birdies over the last four holes, McIlroy shot a 6-under-par 66 on Saturday in the third round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational. It left him one shot behind leader Matt Fitzpatrick and in the final group of a PGA Tour event for the third time in five starts this year, as well as the ninth time dating to the start of 2018.
That's a sign of consistently good play.
There's also some frustration from not having won from the final group since the Irish Open in 2016. And by the appearance of Bay Hill in the warm, late afternoon - greens that looked yellow, fairways feeling tighter in such firm conditions - it won't be any easier.
"Just what I needed," McIlroy said. "I did everything I needed to do today to get myself back in the golf tournament, and excited to have another chance tomorrow."
Fitzpatrick managed to avoid bogeys on a course so firm he could barely find any pitch marks on the greens. It led to a 5-under 67 and the slim advantage as he goes for his first PGA Tour title. He was at 9-under 207, which spoke to the difficulty of a fast, fiery course that would have made Arnie proud. It was the highest 54-hole score to lead at Bay Hill since Ben Crenshaw was at 210 in 1993.
That would have surprised no one who had to play it, especially late in the warm afternoon.
Aaron Baddeley (69), Kevin Kisner (70) and Matt Wallace (69) were tied for third at 7 under.
Three of the four former Baylor School golfers on the PGA Tour are in the event, and Luke List was tied for sixth at 6 under after a 68 that included two bogeys but four birdies and an eagle on the par-5 sixth. Keith Mitchell (75), coming off his breakthrough PGA Tour win at the Honda Classic, was tied for 32nd at 2 under. Harris English (72) was part of the group in 52nd at 1 over.
McIlroy started quickly and was just hanging around until his big finish. He hit a pitching-wedge shot that settled a foot away for a tap-in on the 15th, hit a pitch over the bunker from right of the green on the par-5 16th for a four-foot birdie, then finished with another pitching wedge to 10 feet from the hole for one last birdie.
Those birdies were big. The pars weren't bad, either.
"I felt for part of the round today that I was hanging on," McIlroy said. "You hit it up to 25, 30 feet, you take your two-putts, you move on and know you're not going to lose any ground on the field."
That finished put him where he wanted - the final group.
McIlroy also was in the final group in the first event of the calendar year, three shots behind Gary Woodland. He was in the final group in Mexico City two weeks ago, four shots behind Dustin Johnson. This presents a better opportunity against Fitzpatrick, a five-time winner on the European Tour over the past four years.
There are plenty of others still in the mix, though. Fitzpatrick looked at the electronic leaderboard next to him and figured every name had a chance. Fifteen players were within five shots of the lead.
"There's water around here, the greens are firm, the rough's thick," Fitzpatrick said. "Today someone was saying it's a bit like a U.S. Open, which I could totally see. It only takes a couple of water balls from the top five guys, a few dropped shots early, and all of a sudden you sort of are not looking like you're in a great position."
Fran Quinn in command at PGA Tour Champions event
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. - Fran Quinn birdied three of the final holes in breezy conditions for a 4-under 67 and a three-stroke lead in the PGA Tour Champions' Hoag Classic.
Tied for the first-round lead with Scott McCarron after a 64 in strong wind Friday, Quinn rebounded from a bogey on the par-4 14th with birdies on the par-5 15th, par-3 17th and par-5 18th at Newport Beach Country Club.
The 53-year-old from Massachusetts was at 11-under 131 overall. He's winless on the 50-and-older tour after winning four times on the Web.com Tour and twice on the Asian Tour.
David McKenzie (66) and David Toms (67) were tied for second, a stroke ahead of fourth-place Woody Austin (67), Esteban Toledo (65) and Kirk Triplett (65).
McCarron was another stroke back after a 72, tied for seventh with Steve Flesch (67).
Chattanooga's Gibby Gilbert III was tied for 60th after a 70, a five-stroke improvement on his opening round.
Oliver Wilson a shot ahead at Qatar Masters
DOHA, Qatar - England's Oliver Wilson made his first bogey of the tournament but shot a 3-under 69 to take sole possession of the lead heading into the final round of the Qatar Masters.
Wilson finished with a birdie on the 18th and was at 10-under 206 overall, a shot clear of a quartet of players that included France's Mike Lorenzo-Vera (71), the second-round leader.
In windy conditions throughout the week, Wilson - who is going for his third European Tour victory - had managed two flawless rounds before making a bogey on the par-4 fifth hole Saturday in a round that also included four birdies.
Australia's Nick Cullen (68), Spain's Nacho Elvira (69) and South Africa's Erik van Rooyen (70) were also at 9 under.
South Africa's George Coetzee and Justin Harding, who shared the second-round lead with Lorenzo-Vera, fell back into a tie for 10th place after each carded a 73.