Lee Westwood on Saturday

Dubai: Seasoned Indian golfer Jeev Milkha Singh hopped back into contention for a top-10 finish after a brilliant four-under 68 in the penultimate round gave him a share of the 15th spot in the Dubai World Championship here on Saturday.

The Chandigarh golfer, who had slipped to tied 24th on Friday, is six-under 210 after three rounds at the Earth Course of Jumeirah Golf Estates here.

The opening hole bogey was one of the just two blots on his card as he went on a birdie-firing spree in the front nine, picking up four between the second and ninth hole, to make the turn three-under.

On his way back, Jeev picked up back-to-back birdies on the 14th and 15th holes before a dropped stroke on the 16th pulled him back slightly.

Meanwhile, a flawless round of 66 by Lee Westwood, and late mistakes by his young Race to Dubai rival Rory McIlroy, gave the Englishman a considerable advantage.

Westwood, the 2000 European No.1, goes into Sunday’s final day with a five-stroke lead over McIlroy, the player who heads him on the order of merit, the Race to Dubai.

Although Westwood was caught by McIlroy twice, the second time on the 15th, the 36-year-old Englishman’s six-under return in another absorbing day’s tussle took him to 15-under-par 201.

He leads by two strokes from his fellow Englishman and third-round playing partner Ross McGowan, who also got a 66.

McIlroy bogeyed the last three holes of the Earth course at Jumeirah Estates to slump to a 69 and share third place with triple major champion Padraig Harrington (69) and Sweden’s Alex Noren (67).

The unheralded McGowan, who completed a maiden Tour victory in last month’s Madrid Masters, took charge of the first nine holes with five birdies, inspiring Westwood to his best.