Leaderboard:
-15 Saddier (7)
-14 Cabrera-Bello (9), Lagergren (9)
-13 Hidalgo (6), McIlroy (8)
Selected Irish:
-7 Lowry (16)
-6 McKibbin (F)
+1 Maguire (F)
The rain is back at the K Club with vengeance, lashing again as Cabrera-Bello (-14) lays up at the par 5 10th. Lagergren (-14) meanwhile hits it close at 9 with a chance to join the lead, he misses it though, big opportunity wasted.
The Swede is an Irish specialist, it seems, having won the second-tier Northern Ireland Open Challenge in 2014 and the Irish Challenge in 2024. Irish Open would complete the set.
McIlroy’s birdie putt at the eighth (-13) just a few inches away, great effort but lurking and ready to kick off you’d think with three par 5s left in his final 10 holes.
McIlroy (-13) leaves his birdie putt short at the seventh, he’s annoyed by that one.
Lagergren (-14) is on the charge now and holes a birdie putt at the eighth and straight down the middle at the ninth.
Cabrera-Bello is up to 14 under and flying it today, the course is there for the taking now in soft conditions with the rain stopping. Saddier (-15) has a tough par save ahead at the sixth hole after a poor approach, but he makes it.
McIlroy is middle of the fairway at the seventh par 4, from 119 yards another green light special and he doesn’t love it but it’s another big birdie chance from about 10-15 feet.
Birdie putt for McIlroy (-13) from 16 feet at the par 4 sixth after an approach from 160 yards. It just slides by for par but right in the thick of the tournament.
Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland in action. Photograph: Richard Heathcote/Getty
Sorry for the delay but it was Birdie for McIlroy at the fifth, another stunning putt from 42 feet to get to 13 under. He has got it going with the flatstick.
Birdie at the last for McKibbin, it’s a round of 69 and he’s inside the top 25 for now.
McIlroy’s eagle putt then comes up short, the moisture probably making an impact. Short enough putt left for birdie though.
Birdie for McIlroy! Only three behind.
220 yards into the par 5, an iron in hand for McIlroy (-11). Hits a low cut up the side of the green. Fine shot and an eagle putt coming up of a decent distance coming up!
Hidalgo makes bogey on 3 to drop to -13.
Unfortunately McKibbin’s (-5) nicely played final round has been spoiled by a double bogey at the 17th after he hit the water off the tee.
Big drive at the par 5 fourth hole for McIlroy (-11), where a birdie is surely a must.
Hidalgo (-14) bogeyed the second and has a decent sized par putt to come at the third.
Cabrera-Bello has a rare chance to go eagle-eagle to burst into contention, but just leaves the putt short, but he’s up to -13.
Par for Rory. Big moment for McIlroy (-11) as he holes well from nine feet.
Poor shot by McIlroy (-11) at the third, misses the green to the left and it’s not clear if it’s in the bunker or in the water. McIlroy just about safe from the water, in thick, wet rough which held it up, but leaves himself a tricky par putt left with his chip.
Saddier (-15) hits a nice shot at the second and has a chance for birdie which he misses, Hidalgo (-14) had to lay up and has a similar length putt for par, which he misses. Saddier back in front.
Birdie for McIlroy! 38 feet for McIlroy up the hill and it’s right in the middle. That’s more like it, back to -11. The crowd loved that one.
Good par by Saddier (-15), solid stroke, but he’s lost his lead on Hidalgo (-15), who taps in from a foot.
McIlroy only 105 yards in at the 2nd, a wedge, he eyes it down but it’s a mediocre shot that spins back and leaves himself a long birdie putt.
Hidalgo hits a cracking shot at the first, spins it back to a couple of feet. He should join Saddier in the lead, or maybe take the lead, with Saddier missing the green.
McIlroy is safely on the fairway at the second.
Hole-in-one alert! Cabrera-Bello pitching it in at the 3rd. One bounce and straight in the hole. Magic moment for the fans! He’s up to -12.
Bogey for McIlroy! Misses an eight-footer for par sadly.
Lagergren starts with a birdie on the opening hole to move up to 12 under.
McIlroy misses the green with his second shot, into the greenside rough on the right. But shouldn’t be the most difficult up and down.
McIlroy is on the tee now after a bit of practice, his bunker shots have been top-class this week so far.
First hole is 417 yards, tight par 4. He hits a draw with a 3 wood right down the middle.
Hello and welcome to live coverage of the Irish Open final round from The K Club. Rory McIlroy is in contention in tied fourth position, four off the lead of Adrien Saddier. That is certainly surmountable if McIlroy hits his top form at a course where he won his only previous Irish Open in 2016. McIlroy has been in fine form this week, and enjoyed a homecoming type event after his round on Thursday, where he brought out the Masters green jacket in front of the fans. The home crowd will only be for one man today, even if it means getting soaked from the heavy rain so far this morning. He tees off at 12.56pm.
The leaderboard:
-15 Saddier
-14 Hidalgo
-12 Garcia-Heredia
-11 McIlroy, Lagergren
Selected Irish:
-7 McKibbin (14)
-6 Lowry (6)
+1 Maguire (F)