McIlroy made eight birdies at Emirates Golf Club on Sunday – four in a row from the 1st, three more straight from No.13 and another at the penultimate hole – with none of the birdie putts being from more than seven feet.

"I drove the ball better today, which put me in better positions to attack and make birdies," said the Northern Irishman, making his first start of 2023.

"It's nearly there, not quite there. I'm just playing really efficient golf right now."

McIlroy did, though, give the chasers some hope by making bogey at the par-5 final hole, for his only dropped shot of the round, after hitting a fairway wood into the water in front of the green.

The four-time major champion made the same mistake on the 18th hole in his final round in last year's tournament to finish a shot behind the leaders, when a birdie would have won him the title.

McIlroy was on 15-under overall, with English players Callum Shinkwin (67) and World No.484 Dan Bradbury (68) tied for second.

As the players on the leaderboard went down the stretch, there looked to be a strong chance of McIlroy and Patrick Reed being together in the last group in Monday's final round.

That would have been must-watch viewing after they made headlines with a pre-tournament spat.

Reed, however, made bogey at the drivable par-4 17th when his tee shot got stuck up a tree to the right of the fairway and the American wound up shooting 69 to sit among a seven-man group tied for fourth on 11-under, four shots behind McIlroy.

The Australian challenge will now largely rest on Lucas Herbert, who's a further shot back on 10-under after he recorded a two-under 70.

But Min Woo Lee failed to really get going on moving day, a birdie at the last at least giving him an under par round of 71 but he's eight shots off the lead in joint-30th.

The tournament is finishing on Monday after bad weather cut short play on the opening two days.