Ireland remain on course for a wire-to-wire victory at the Omega Mission Hills World Cup after opening up a two shot lead over defending champions Sweden and Italy at the midway point of the final round foursomes.
Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell battled to the turn in two under par 34 to improve to 28 under overall with Sweden’s Henrik Stenson and Robert Karlsson and Italian brothers Francesco and Edoardo Molinari making solitary gains over their opening nine holes.
Japan, England and Australia sit a further five shots off the pace with the USA in the clubhouse at 20 under par.
American duo Nick Watney and John Merrick blazed seven consecutive brides at the start of the back nine to secure a final round of ten under 62 in the traditionally testing alternate shot format to set the clubhouse mark.
In glorious sunshine at Mission Hills Golf Club, Ireland began the day with a one shot lead over Sweden and Italy following Saturday’s fourballs, but endured a difficult start to their bid.
McIlroy missed a ten foot birdie chance at the first before salvaging a par for Ireland at the second with a perfectly executed chip from the bunker after McDowell had missed the green at the short downhill par three second.
The wobbly start continued as McIlroy blazed his tee shot at the third deep into the trees forcing McDowell to chip back onto the fairway.
And after McIlroy was forced to lay up with a stream and numerous bunkers protecting the front of the green, McDowell’s approach fell just short of the green and McIlroy missed a difficult putt from off the green to sign for a hard fought bogey.
But as they stepped onto the fourth green the first leaderboard of the day showed
Sweden a shot clear after Stenson and Karlsson, playing in the penultimate group, had birdied the short par five third.
That proved the catalyst Ireland needed as McDowell rolled home from four feet to kick-start a run of four consecutive birdies which stretched the lead to two and then three as Sweden dropped their first shot of the tournament at the eighth.
But with Sweden reaching the turn in one under par and 26 under overall, McDowell missed the green at the par three eighth which resulted in Ireland’s second bogey of the round to trim the lead to two.
Ireland then received a slice of luck on the ninth as another wayward drive from McIlroy rebounded back into play off a tree and the pair secured a hard fought par to maintain the two shot advantage.
