Daniel Hillier birdied the final two holes to shoot 2-under 70 on Saturday and take a one-stroke lead into the final round of the Dubai Desert Classic as the No. 223-ranked New Zealander goes for the biggest win of his career.

Jon Rahm and Viktor Hovland have missed the cut and Rory McIlroy was forced to battle to make the weekend as the headline acts struggled at the Dubai Desert Classic

Tyrrell Hatton shot 68 and was the closest challenger to the No. 223-ranked Hillier, whose only win on the European tour came at the British Masters in July 2023. Hillier was 13-under par for the week.

Daniel Hillier will carry a one-stroke lead into the final round of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic after bouncing back from a mid-round stumble on Moving Day at Emirates Golf Club. The Kiwi began the third round one stroke behind Dubai-based Ewen Ferguson but quickly caught the Scot with back-to-back birdies on the first two holes of the Majlis