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By Kent Gray
The driver is working and the trademark skip in his step itching to come out for another circuit of the Majlis. Rory McIlroy looks to have rediscovered his mid-to-long iron striking of old too with three back-nine examples of exquisite quality on Saturday.

But it’s tactics and patience that the world No.8 reckons will prove the difference when the 33rd Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic is decided today.

McIlroy limited the damage when he needed to and pounced on the par-5s to sign for a 69 on Saturday and ease within two strokes of thus-far wire-to-wire leader Justin Harding.

Ernie Els is the only three-time winner of the ‘Major of the Middle East’ but mightn’t be for long if McIlroy can keep his patience and somehow conjure in a few putts on what he describes as “crusty greens”.

Yeah, I’m excited,” said the 2009 and 2015 champion. 

“I had a really good chance in 2018 and let it slip through my fingers there when Haotong won. Good to give myself another opportunity.”

It will be, as McIlroy puts it, a “proper test”, regardless of how anyone else plays. The Majlis’ freshly renovated putting surfaces, dry and fast, will make sure of that.

“You’ve got to hit it in the fairway to get control of your golf ball and get some spin on it, and then if you miss the greens, it’s really difficult to get the ball up-and-down. Today tested all aspects of your game off the tee, iron play, chipping, putting and probably most importantly, your sort of mental side of it.

“I think everyone felt the same thing. It’s tricky out there, a bit of breeze, firm greens, pins are tucked away, it’s almost better off to have a 50-footer on the green than hit a good shot and then it run-off the green and you’re chipping on to those firm greens, is tricky.

“So there’s a lot of tactics out there and just sort of A to B and trying to put yourself in the right spots. Overall, I thought anything in the 60s today was a good score.”

The highlight of McIlroy’s 69 was his eagle three on the 10th. He also hit a 5 iron into 13 to set up a two-putt birdie before a 4-iron into 18 set up another gain.

“It would be nice to get another win, especially here in Dubai. But it’s obviously nice to get a win anywhere early in the season. So I’ve just got to go out there w and try to play a good round of golf and hopefully it’s good enough.

“There’s a great atmosphere out there. Hopefully another great atmosphere tomorrow. I mean, I’ve played in a lot of final groups here, so it’s nothing new to me at this point and I’m excited for it.”