웨스트우드, 두바이골프 3R ‘선두’ 세계골프랭킹 3위 리 웨스트우드(잉글랜드)가 유럽프로골프투어 오메가 두바이 클래식 셋째날 선두로 뛰어올랐다. 웨스트우드는 11일 아랍에미리트 두바이의 에미리츠 골프장(파72·7천301야드)에서 열린 대회 3라운드에서 버디 7개에 보기 2개를 곁들여 5타를 줄였다. 중간합계 15언더파 201타를 친 웨스트우드는 2위 그룹을 1타차로 제치고 리더보드 맨 윗자리에 이름을 올렸다. 공동 2위에는 스티븐 갤러처(스코틀랜드), 마르셀 짐(독일), 라파엘 카브레라-베요(스페인·14언더파 201타)가 자리했다. 전날 공동선두였던 세계랭킹 2위 로리 매킬로이(북아일랜드)는 타수를 줄이지 못해 공동 5위(13언더파 203타)로 떨어졌다. 한국의 노승열(21·타이틀리스트)은 3타를 줄여 공동 19위(8언더파 208타)로 순위를 끌어올렸다.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -Lee Westwood took advantage of some shaky play from Rory McIlroy and Thomas Bjorn to claim the third-round lead at the Dubai Desert Classic, one shot clear of Rafael Cabrera-Bello of Spain and two others.

Westwood was three shots behind McIlroy and Bjorn at the start of the third round but the quickly closed the gap with three birdies in his first four holes. The third-ranked Englishman birdied the 13th for a share of the lead with Bjorn and then went ahead by one when the Dane bogeyed the 15th.

"I played well. I got off to a good start. I was 3-under par after four (holes)," Westwood said. "The only time I dropped two shots was when I hit two poor drives on 6 into the left rough, got a heavy lie and 8 hit it into the sand on right. Other than that very solid and gave myself lots of birdie chances."/p>

With 21 European Tour titles, Westwood has much more experience than the next three players. Cabrera-Bello (70), Stephen Gallacher (68) and Marcel Siem (68) have a combined three titles.

밳eah, I know how to play with the lead. What did I win, four times last year??Westwood said with a wry smile. 밯hen I get a chance, I뭢 pretty good at finishing off. I뭭e won (38) times (worldwide). You know, that뭩 not somebody that뭩 not good with a lead. It뭩 a habit. You get used to it, you know. You get used to knowing what to do; when to press, when not to press, when to be patient.?/p>

Coming into Saturday, it appeared Westwood뭩 biggest challengers this weekend would be U.S. Open champion McIlroy and Bjorn, who beat Tiger Woods in 2001 to take the Dubai title.

But McIlroy dropped back early, after his tee shot on No. 7 went in the water led to his first bogey. It was a sign of the kind of struggles he would have all day, as missed putts and errant drives led to three more bogeys on the back nine.

밒t was pretty ragged to say the least,?McIlroy said. 밒 think the conditions were a little tougher, the wind got up, and had not really played in wind like that all week, so that sort of put me off a little bit, and the greens got a little firmer, pin positions were a little tougher ?just definitely didn뭪 come as easy to me as it did the first couple of days.?/p>

The 22-year-old Irishman did well to remain in the hunt, making three birdies on the back nine including on the 18th for a 72. Only two shots back, McIlroy said he had similar experience in Hong Kong where he shot a 65 to win the tournament, so he is confident he could still claim his first victory in Dubai since 2009.

밫oday is just not going to be a day where you hit it well and you뭨e going to make plenty of birdies and give yourself opportunities,?he said. 밃 day like today, you just have to try to stay as close to the leaders as possible and not let them get away from you. That뭩 what we tried to do today and luckily I뭢 only two back which is a good thing.?/p>

With McIlroy faltering, it appeared that Bjorn would take advantage and did so early on. He took the outright lead when he birdied No. 7 and consolidated the lead with another birdie on No. 10. But everything went wrong on remainder of the back nine, as a tee shot in the bunker led to a bogey on 15. He followed that with two more bogeys on his last three holes.

McIlroy is tied for fifth with 2010 PGA champion Martin Kaymer (70), Scott Jamieson (70) Joel Sjoholm (66). Bjorn (73) was a further shot back in a three-way tie for ninth with George Coetzee of South Africa and 2003 British Open Champion Ben Curtis.

Westwood tops McIlroy for solo third-round lead in Dubai