| -15 R Henley (US); -12 X Schauffele (US), L Griffin (US), T Gooch (US), J Kokrak (US); -10 J Thomas (US), J Day (Aus), T Hatton (Eng) |
| Selected others: -9 C Moriwaka (US); -8 R McIlroy (NI), B Watson (US), H Matsuyama (Jap); -7 J Rahm (Spa), M Fitzpatrick (US); -4 I Poulter (Eng); -2 J Rose (Eng) |
Rory McIlroy fired a superb third round of six-under-par 66 to move into the top 10 at the CJ Cup in Las Vegas.
McIlroy was 12 shots off the pace after opening rounds of 73 and 69 but moved to eight under for the tournament with a round which included eight birdies.
The world number four lies seven shots behind leader Russell Henley who enjoys a three-shot lead over four fellow Americans, including Xander Schauffele.
A 73 left England’s Tyrrell Hatton tied for sixth place on 10 under.
PGA Championship winner Hatton was three shots off the lead in second place the first two rounds, having opened the tournament with a 65 on Thursday and 68 on Friday.
Hatton, 29, endured a consistent but frustrating day, with eight pars on the front nine against one bogey, before cancelling out a bogey five at the 14th with a birdie four on the last after hitting his second shot to within eight feet.
Northern Ireland’s McIlroy took birdies on the par-four third and sixth holes, dropped a shot on the long seventh, but then made six birdies against just one bogey in playing his back nine in five under, including birdieing his last three holes.
Henley was an unspectacular model of consistency in building his lead, with two front nine birdies and three more to kick off his back nine, in his bogey-free round.
England’s Matthew Fitzpatrick, meanwhile, shot a 72 to be seven under.
Prominent among other British players were Ian Poulter, who shot 73 to be four under and 11 off the lead, and Justin Rose, whose 68 had him at two under.
