DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Defending champion Stephen Gallacher had seven birdies and an eagle on the back nine Saturday to surge past Rory McIlroy and take a two-shot lead into the final round of the Dubai Desert Classic.

Gallacher equaled the European Tour record for the lowest nine-hole score with an inward 28 for a 9-under 63. That gave him a 16-under total of 200, with McIlroy in second after 69. Tiger Woods was 11 shots back after a 70.

“This is the best back nine I’ve had in my career by far,” said Gallacher, who started the day four shots behind McIlroy. “So to get myself back into contention when I needed to, and given the stature of this tournament, it feels good.”

Gallacher started with seven straight pars before a bogey on the eighth. But he birdied the next four holes before an eagle on the par-5 13th, where he hit a 7-iron to within three inches with his second shot. After another par on the next hole, he finished with four straight birdies.

“I struggled at the start and played the first four holes a bit ropey,” the Scot said. “But I then hit a beautiful drive and 7-iron (at the ninth) to about 3 foot, and from then on I never missed a shot.”

The Desert Classic is celebrating its 25th anniversary, and Gallacher now has a chance to become the first person to win back-to-back titles at the event. McIlroy earned his first European Tour victory here in 2009 and is still very much in the hunt despite battling food poisoning during the second round on Friday. McIlroy, who had his lowest score in three years with a 63 in the opening round, mixed three birdies and an eagle with two bogeys on Saturday.

“My stomach is better today, still not 100 percent but it’s better than it was yesterday,” McIlroy said. “I feel like I can catch him (Gallacher) up tomorrow. I don’t really want to focus on what he’s doing – try to focus on my own thing.”

Woods, who won here in 2006 and 2008, failed to get back in contention after a disappointing day on the greens. The top-ranked American had two bogeys and four birdies but missed a number of opportunities to pull closer.

“I only hit a couple of bad shots, (but) missed a ton of putts,” said Woods, who was in a tie for 37th. “Really hit it good but just threw away a lot of shots.”

Thorbjoern Olesen of Denmark shot a 65 to sit tied for third with Brooks Koepka of the United States, another two shots behind Gallacher. Race to Dubai winner Henrik Stenson fell out of contention with a 75 that included two double bogeys and left him 12 shots back.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Rory McIlroy birdied his last hole to keep the lead to himself halfway through the Dubai Desert Classic on Friday.

Meanwhile, playing partner Tiger Woods carded a 1-over 73 to drop into a tie for 44th. He kept his humour, at least.

In joining fellow Masters champions Mark O’Meara and Fred Couples in hosting a junior golf clinic on the Emirates Club practice range, Woods told a large crowd, “I was on so many parts of the golf course today that I got to meet so many people, signed so many autographs out there, and gave a lot of balls away.

“But seriously, I was just hitting it sideways.”

While Woods was at 3 under, two above a cut line which removed Ernie Els, John Daly, Jose Maria Olazabal and O’Meara, McIlroy was riding an adventurous round of five birdies against three bogeys to finish on 11 under.

His lead was cut in half to one shot over European Tour-based American Brooks Koepka, who birdied his opening three holes in a 65 to move to 10 under.

Three players – England’s Danny Willett (65), Ireland’s Damien McGrane (70) and Frenchman Julien Quesne (70) – share third place on 8 under.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Rory McIlroy took another step toward regaining his form Thursday with his lowest score in more than three years, a 9-under 63 while playing with Tiger Woods to take a two-shot lead in the Dubai Desert Classic.

McIlroy played bogey-free in ideal scoring conditions on the Maglis course at Emirates Golf Club, picking up six birdies and an eagle during a 10-hole stretch in the middle of his round. He easily upstaged Woods, who was five shots behind after a 68.

Edoardo Molinari made an eagle on the par-4 second hole on his way to a 65. The group at 66 included Stephen Gallacher, the defending champion who also played in the feature group with Woods and McIlroy.

McIlroy had his best score since a 63 in the Hong Kong Open in November 2010.

The 24-year-old from Northern Ireland was No. 1 in the world at this point a year ago, but went through a troublesome season adjusting to new equipment and coping with his first prolonged slump. He didn’t win a tournament until the Australian Open in December. In his 2014 debut two weeks ago, McIlroy finished one shot behind in Abu Dhabi, where he was given a two-shot penalty in the third round for not taking proper relief.

McIlroy said he was “very close” to playing his best and that this was “another step up from Abu Dhabi” the way he controlled his irons.

“I played the ball really well from tee to green, drove the ball really well again,” he said. “You can see how well I am driving it that I am leaving myself a lot of wedges into the green. So that’s going to help.”

McIlroy ran off three straight birdies early in his round and made the turn on the back nine in 32. He made eagle on the par-5 third hole with a 5-wood into 8 feet.

Woods managed to hit just half of the fairways in regulation, but taking only 25 putts helped him. The world’s No. 1 player also made his first birdie of the year on a par 5, his opening hole at No. 10. Woods did not birdie any of the 12 par 5s he played last week at Torrey Pines, where he missed the 54-hole cut.

“I felt like it was a good day,” Woods said. “I could have got a couple more out of it, just by making a couple putts from about ten feet or so but I hit a lot of good putts which was nice. Last week I didn’t do it and it was nice to actually play well again.”

Woods is a two-time winner in Dubai, which is celebrating its 25-year anniversary. McIlroy won his first European Tour event at Dubai in 2009. Among the past champions, Fred Couples, Mark O’Meara and Colin Montgomerie each shot 70, as did Race to Dubai winner Henrik Stenson.

Molinari, who took a bogey on the par-5 18th, bounced back on the short second hole when he hit a big drive to just short of the green and then chipped in from about 35 yards for an eagle.

“It was a good day,” Molinari said. “I’ve been hitting the ball very well lately, and especially off the tee.”

But the day belonged to McIlroy, who has a chance this week to build some momentum. He called it his best round since a 66 to beat Adam Scott in Australia at the end of last year, and while McIlroy shot 64 in Boston last September, “it’s definitely the lowest round I’ve shot in a while.”

Gallacher said he was happy with a 66, especially playing alongside two of the biggest stars in golf. He played an 18-hole exhibition with Woods and Couples earlier this week.

“I played alongside Tiger on Tuesday, so I knew what to expect, and it was just a matter of getting on with my own game,” Gallacher said. “So Tiger’s been fine, but then Rory’s been brilliant.”

DOHA, Qatar – Sergio Garcia birdied the third extra hole to beat Mikko Ilonen in a playoff Saturday and win the Qatar Masters for his second victory in three events.

Garcia entered the round three shots behind overnight leader Rafa Cabrera-Bello but birdied six of his last 12 for a 7-under 65, forcing Ilonen to make an 18-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole to force the playoff with a 66. They both finished on 16-under 272.

Garcia missed an 8-foot birdie putt on the last that would have given him the win in regulation, and then couldn’t make an eagle putt for the victory on the first playoff hole.

The Spaniard and Ilonen both had birdies on the second extra hole as well before Garcia sealed the victory with a tap-in birdie at the third to Ilonen’s par.

“I started the day thinking if I can shoot a 6 or 7 under, I can have a chance,” Garcia. “I’m very happy to be able to win it.”

Cabrera-Bello only managed a 69 and fell to a tie for third with Thorbjorn Olesen of Denmark (68).

Garcia’s victory helped make up for last year’s disappointment in Doha, when he finished runner-up after England’s Chris Wood eagled the last hole to claim his first European Tour win. It also came on the heels of his victory at the Thailand Golf Championship in December, when he had his girlfriend Katharina Boehm caddie for him. Boehm was among the first to congratulate him after he sealed the win on Saturday.

“When things off the golf course are on good terms it is a little easier to concentrate when you don’t have too many things in your head,” Garcia said. “I am very fortunate with Kathy and with my family and all those around me, so it’s great to be playing well and to be in this winning situation with the goal now to keep improving.

“I still feel like I can do better and that is the goal.”

Ilonen was seeking just his third tour victory after ending a six-year winless drought last June at the Nordea Masters.

“I came up two shots short of my target in regulation thinking a 64 would win outright, but a 66 was good enough for the playoff,” the Finn said. “But Sergio was a bit better than me.”

Olesen had the chance to join the playoff but missed his eight-foot eagle putt on 18.

European No. 1 Henrik Stenson finished strongly with birdies on his last four holes for a 67 that put him in a tie for 28th – perhaps a good sign at the end of a disappointing tournament ahead of next week’s Dubai Desert Classic.

DOHA, Qatar – Rafa Cabrera-Bello of Spain squandered a two-shot lead in finishing tied with Steve Webster of England on top of the leaderboard heading to the final round of the Qatar Masters on Friday.

Cabrera-Bello shot a 1-over-par 73 and was caught by Webster, who carded 70 at Doha Golf Club for three-round totals of 12-under 204.

They were only one stroke ahead of Adrien Saddier of France, the biggest mover with six birdies in his opening seven holes in a round of 64, South African Thomas Aiken (70) and Denmark’s Thorbjorn Olesen (68) on a packed leaderboard.

Just four shots separated the top 19 players, among them Paul Lawrie (69) at 10 under and looking to become the first three-time Qatar champion, and Sergio Garcia (69) at 9 under. Garcia was runner-up last year with George Coetzee of South Africa (73), who was at 10 under.

Cabrera-Bello, chasing his first win on the European Tour in two years, began the day leading by two on 13 under, and went three shots clear with a birdie at the second hole.

However, he dropped shots on Nos. 6 for a second straight day, 13 and 15.

“I didn’t think I played that bad,” Cabrera-Bello said. “On the back nine, I didn’t quite make the birdie putts as I did yesterday, but overall, I could have won it today.

“I’m a bit disappointed for not keeping a few shots ahead of the pack. I’m still on top of the leaderboard and still people need to try and catch me.”

Webster, looking to win for a first time in over six years, bogeyed the fourth and fifth holes to fall to 8 under then played the rest of the way in 4 under. On the par-5 18th, he pitched to 10 feet for a birdie putt and outright lead but missed.

“I don’t know what happened at first as I was hitting it really good on the range, but then I got a bit cocky on the course and the first six holes was like I had never played golf before,” Webster said.

Saddier, who graduated sixth from qualifying school to compete in his rookie tour season, has already showed his potential with a sixth-place tie in the Nelson Mandela Championship last month.

His round of 64 was five shots better than his previous tour low of 69 when he competed as an amateur in the 2012 European Masters.

After a 74 to lie 3 under, Henrik Stenson had a long session on the range under coach Pete Cowen.

Ernie Els (71, 2 under) and Luke Donald (74, 1 under) couldn’t stay in contention, and U.S. PGA Championship winner Jason Dufner slumped to 3 over following his round of 78 that included seven bogeys and one birdie.

DOHA, Qatar – Rafa Cabrera-Bello birdied four of his last five holes for a 7-under 65 Thursday to take a two-shot lead after the second round of the Qatar Masters.

The Spaniard had three straight birdies from the 14th and then rolled in another at 18 for a 13-under total of 131. The late charge meant he overtook first-round leader George Coetzee of South Africa, who carded a 69 earlier in the day at the Doha Golf Club course.

Cabrera-Bello said “I got on a very hot streak on my back nine with the putter, so that was very good.”

Three players – Sweden’s Johan Carlsson (65) and the English duo of Matthew Baldwin (66) and Steve Webster (69) – were tied for third on 10 under.

DOHA, Qatar – George Coetzee of South Africa needed just 21 putts to shoot an 8-under-par 64 for a one-shot lead on the opening day of the Qatar Masters on Wednesday.

Coetzee eagled the par-5 10th hole and birdied his closing three holes in a round that was just two shots more than his best on the European Tour, a 62 which equaled the Old Course record at St Andrews in Scotland 15 months ago.

“I was quite lucky to get away with a few shots, but it was another good putting display to put a nice number,” he said.

“There’s a lot of luck involved in this game, especially the way I play, and I had 21 putts with a three-putt, so that goes to show.”

Sitting 7-under are countryman Dawie Van Der Walt and Steve Webster of England, who began in spectacular manner by holing a 254-yard, 5-wood second shot for an albatross at his opening hole, the 548-yard, par-5 10th.

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates – Spain’s Pablo Larrazabal shot a final round 67 to end a near three-year winless drought to capture the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship on Sunday.

Larrazabal, 30, won by a stroke with a 14-under par 274 on the National Course in the UAE capital.

Rory McIlroy (68), who had incurred a two-stroke penalty a day earlier, finished with a share of second place with Phil Micklelson (69) on 13-under.

“It means a lot to win my third victory on Tour and playing against who I played today,” said Larrazabal.

“Of course, I play against myself but I knew who I also had behind me in Mickelson. I have just beaten two of the three most talented guys in my era, and in the last era, as well in Phil Mickelson and Rory.

Mickelson was left counting the cost of incurring a shot penalty after a double hit while playing from brush on the 13th hole of the National course.

The British Open champion, who was leading at the time, finished the hole with a triple-bogey seven.

“I was sitting at the presentation ceremony I said to myself: ‘Pablo? What are you doing here?’ I’ve got Rory McIlroy on my left and I am shaking the hand of Phil Mickelson on my right. It’s very special for me,” added Larrazabal after collecting the trophy.

“But it’s been a long journey and a lot of work since my last win in Munich, and only my team and my family know how hard I have worked for this victory with no holidays, and not too many days off this winter, just working hard to arrive here properly and in form to Abu Dhabi. So, yes happy days.”

While Mickelson was returning home for his first PGA event of the New Year, at this coming week’s Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines, McIlroy is returning to nearby Dubai to continue working on his game.

It is the second occasion in three years he has let slip victory in Abu Dhabi because of a rules violation.

“It happens, it happens but it never crossed my mind I might double hit it,” Mickelson said.

“I was just trying to dribble it out of the bush because I couldn’t get the unplayable penalty lie to give me a shot without stroke and distance and I felt it was worth the risk. It not only cost a penalty shot, but it also stopped the ball from going to a spot where I could hit again.

“So after that I got refocused and got aggressive and made some birdies and gave myself a chance. If Pablo had not birdied the last hole to win, I would have gotten into a play-off, and so I give him a lot of credit for finishing the tournament off the right way,” he added.

McIlroy had been penalized for illegally brushing sand off his line on the final day of the 2012 event before losing by a stroke to England’s Robert Rock.

On Saturday, the double Major winner was slapped with a two-shot penalty after being reported by the caddy of another player in not taking ‘full relief’ from a spectator cross walk.

“I can’t describe how frustrating it is and feeling like I should be standing here at 15-under par for the tournament and winning by one,” McIlroy said.

“It is a very positive start to the season so I’m not to let one little negative ruin that. It was not to I finished one behind on the 18th that it started he o dawn on me if what happened yesterday had not happened, I would have won.

“But Pablo played well, and I can’t take anything away from him. When he needed to, he hit the shots, and the two shots he hit into 18 were straight out of the drawer, so fair play to him.

“It’s good to see. He’s a good guy, one of my closer friends out here and good to see him get the win.”

Larrazabal moved into seventh place in the Race to Dubai and to 12th on the European Ryder Cup Team points table.

As well, the current World No. 103 ranked player should move inside the top-64 on the rankings when they are adjusted Monday and that will guarantee the Spaniard a first-ever place in next month’s Accenture Match-Play Championship in Arizona.

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates – Phil Mickelson surged up the leaderboard with a 9-under 63 to put himself in second place after the third round of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship, while Rory McIlroy was hit with a two-shot penalty for a rules infraction that dropped him into a tie for fourth.

Mickelson barely made the cut but had the best round of the day with nine birdies and an eagle coupled with two bogeys to sit two shots behind leader Craig Lee of Scotland. Lee shot a 69 for a 12-under 204 total.

“I just love the fact I am in contention and have an opportunity in my first tournament of the year here in Abu Dhabi,” Mickelson said. “The biggest thing for me is that each day as the tournament has progressed I have felt a lot sharper and sharper.”

McIlroy thought he was alone in second place a stroke behind Lee after finishing his round, but tournament officials then ruled that he had taken a drop incorrectly on the second hole and adjusted his score to a double-bogey 7. That gave him a 70 for the round to sit one stroke behind Mickelson and Gaganjeet Bhullar of India (66).

McIlroy had to take relief on the second hole when his ball ended up on a gallery crosswalk and went on to par the hole, but was later told by the caddy of playing partner Ricardo Gonzalez that he had his left foot on the white line marking the drop area, meaning he had not taken “full relief” according to the rules.

Tournament officials reviewed the situation after McIlroy completed his round, with the golfer going back to the spot to show where he stood when he took the shot.

“I didn’t even know my foot was on the line,” McIlroy said. “We went back to see it again there and see where my divot was, and it was clear that I couldn’t have played the shot with my feet anywhere else. I guess I was so much into the shot I didn’t even realize. … There’s a lot of stupid rules and this is one of them.”

To make matters worse, McIlroy said his drop had actually given him a bad lie and that he would have benefited from dropping again.

“If anything, it was a disadvantage,” McIlroy said.

McIlroy had finished the round without a bogey, making his fourth birdie of the day on the 18th.

“To a spectator it may feel like I have been unduly punished, and that’s what it feels like to me, but it’s a rule of the game. I do feel like I have been hard done by but it’s nothing that a fast start tomorrow can’t fix.”

McIlroy took to Twitter to poke fun of himself following the rules breach.

Foot fault…..

— Rory Mcilroy (@McIlroyRory) January 18, 2014

Mickelson shot his lowest score since a 63 on the opening day of the Deutsche Bank Championship in September, falling one shot short of the Abu Dhabi course record.

The American birdied four of his opening six holes, eagled the eighth and then also birdied five of his inward holes, including sinking a 50-foot birdie putt at the par-5 last.

That came after he tried to reach the green in two shots but ended up beneath some trees to the left and needed a pitching wedge on his third shot.

“(I) gave myself a 45 to 50 footer that you don’t really expect to make too often but I had a good kind of feel on that one and it just rolled right I,” Mickelson said. “But then I was getting a little tired mentally those last few holes and I could tell it was early in the season so I just wasn’t as sharp mentally.”

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates – Rory McIlroy birdied his last two holes to post a 5-under 67 and lie two shots off the lead two rounds into the Abu Dhabi Championship on Friday.

At 7 under overall in the European Tour event, McIlroy was rapt to be in contention for a second win in three tournaments. Playing partner Phil Mickelson was also happy, though in relief to make the cut by two shots at 1 under with a 70 after a first-round 73.

“I’m really glad I made the cut and I now have a chance over these next two days, because I kind of keyed in on something with my swing starting to feel much better,” Mickelson said. “I really need these two days to get my game in shape.”

Mickelson was impressed with McIlroy’s form.

“His game looks really sharp and his driving was impeccable,” Mickelson said of McIlroy.

Tied for the lead were Scotland’s Craig Lee (67) and Spain’s Rafa Cabrera-Bello (68) at 9 under, a stroke ahead of England’s Danny Willett (63), who eagled the par-5 8th hole at National Course beside seven birdies.

McIlroy was sharing fourth with Argentina’s Ricardo Gonzalez (66) and Denmark’s Thomas Bjorn (70).

He was holding the end-of-2013 form that saw him come from behind and defeat Masters champion Adam Scott in the Australian Open in Sydney last month.

“It’s a great position to be in, as I’m only a few off the lead, so I’m excited,” McIlroy said.

He was happy to compare with how he missed the cut a year ago, when he debuted new equipment and left himself and sponsor Nike red-faced. In that humbling display of consecutive 75s were two double bogeys and seven bogeys.

“Coming off the last green last year, after 36 holes, I was deflated to say the least,” he said. “The week didn’t go as how I imagined it or how I planned. But it’s so much better this year. I’m happy with how I’m playing. I’m striking the ball really well. I got a few putts to drop on the back nine, which was nice. And yeah, I mean, I feel like if I can keep hitting it the way I have been, I’ve got a great chance to win in this tournament.”

While McIlroy won two tournaments ago in Sydney it has been 13 months since his last success on the European Tour when he birdied his closing five holes in winning the season-ending World Tour Championship in nearby Dubai.

Cabrera-Bello is also no stranger to winning in the Emirates, having captured the 2012 Dubai Desert Classic. The overnight leader dropped a shot at his last hole, the ninth, to fall into a tie with Lee, who seeks his first win on tour.

“I have been practicing hard the last two weeks and trying also to get back into shape, so I’m glad that is all paying off,” Cabrera-Bello said.