Rory McIlroy is feeling optimistic of WGC-HSBC Champions glory on Sunday after he opened up a one-shot lead on day three. World number two McIlroy, who is searching for his fourth win of 2019, was blemish-free on Saturday as he made five birdies for a third successive five-under-par round of 67, handing him a one-shot lead on -15. South African Louis Oosthuizen made nine birdies and two bogeys in a superb seven-under-par round of 65, taking him to -14 for the tournament and in sole possession of second. Defending champion Xander Schauffele and Englishman Matthew Fitzpatrick are both locked on -13, two strokes off the lead, while England’s Paul Waring is a shot further back on -12. Speaking ahead of Sunday’s final round, McIlroy says he is feeling positive about his chances of victory, which would see him join Tiger Woods and Dustin Johnson in having won three of the four WGC events. “I think if I can go out tomorrow and play similar to how I did today, I should have a good chance to win,” he was quoted as saying by the European Tour. “I probably played the best today that I’ve played all week. I drove the ball well, hitting my irons pretty good for the most part. “I feel like I didn’t quite get as much out of the round as I could have, but I’m not going to complain. I’m in the lead going into tomorrow, so I just need to rest up and try to get out there and play another good, solid round of golf. “I’ve given myself another opportunity to win a very big golf tournament, a tournament that I’ve never won before. So I want to go out there and be committed, play aggressively and shoot a good number.”
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