Watch the final round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational live on Sky Sports Golf from 4.30pm on Sunday
Sunday 8 March 2020 08:51, UK
Rory McIlroy says he is embracing the "tough conditions" and the "mental grind" as he battles for victory at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Max Homa was the only player to shoot under par in the third round, with strong winds and firm greens making low scores difficult.
World No 3 Brooks Koepka recorded his highest-ever round on the PGA Tour - an 81 featuring eight bogeys and one double bogey - and only eight players, including two-shot leader Tyrrell Hatton, are under par heading into the final day.
Asked about the difficulty level, McIlroy said: "It's a nice change from the norm. I've sort of talked about trying to really embrace challenge these days when I would have shied away from it in the past. So really trying to embrace the tough conditions.
"It's a mental grind. It's about just trying to stay as patient as possible out there."
I think a lot of people are sitting at home saying what they would do out here, but I wouldn't wish it on any average or normal player to go try and play what we did out there.
McIlroy is alongside Marc Leishman on four-under par, with Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Danny Lee, Harris English and Sungjae Im all a further shot back.
"I'm confident in my game," said McIlroy. "I think my ball striking's been good. I was pretty good off the tee today. I'm thinking well around the course. I feel like my distance control's been pretty good. The greens are getting firm, so really having to land the ball on your numbers. So, yeah, I feel good with my game.
"I holed some nice putts today, holed some better putts and hit some better putts than I did the first couple days. Everything's pretty good.
"I think tomorrow it's all about keeping the big numbers off your card and just trying to play as conservative as possible and pick up some birdies on the par-fives if you can, and if you can get it in the red for the day you're going to have a good chance."
Hatton was level with McIlroy until finishing with two birdies in the last three holes to take the lead heading into the final day.
"I felt I dealt with everything pretty well," he told Sky Sports. "In the past I could have lost my head after the double bogey on nine and we would have a shocking back nine…but to finish with two birdies in the last three with how cold it got, I am over the moon with that.
"It's going to be a challenge [on the final day]. I am excited to see how I get on."
Bezuidenhout is playing his first PGA Tour event and told Sky Sports: "I said to my caddie walking off the last green that it's the toughest round I've played in my life. The wind is swirling, the greens are firm and quick, it's brutal out there."
Rickie Fowler, who finished on two-over par after a quadruple bogey on the sixth hole, said: "It's just hard. There's no real other way of explaining it. It's hard. You got to drive the ball in the fairway and then it's hard getting the ball close to the hole and even keeping it on some greens when you're down or crosswind. So it's not easy.
"I think a lot of people are sitting at home saying what they would do out here, but I wouldn't wish it on any average or normal player to go try and play what we did out there."
Watch the final round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational live on Sky Sports Golf from 4.30pm on Sunday
Get the best prices and book a round at one of 1,700 courses across the UK & Ireland
