Former world No.1 golfer Rory McIlroy stormed off the 18th green at the BMW Masters on Saturday after a great chance to challenge disappeared into a greenside bunker.
The 24-year-old banged his putter angrily on the steps leading to the scorers’ hut at Lake Malaren in Shanghai after a double-bogey six at the fearsome finishing hole all but blew away his title hopes.
American Luke Guthrie – tournament leader from the outset – was joined on top of the leaderboard on eight-under-par by Spain’s Rafael Cabrera-Bello at the end of day three.
Guthrie suffered bogeys at the 16th and 18th to drop him back to the field with an even-par 72, while the Spaniard shot a five-under 67.
But the huge crowds had come to see McIlroy and he had looked all set to get into contention as he began the back nine with four straight birdies to get to four-under.
Struggling with his game all year, he showed some of his old magic as his birdie blitz propelled him up the leaderboard.
With a birdie opportunity at the par-5 15th to come, it looked odds-on that McIlroy would be within touching distance of the leaders going into Sunday’s final round of the $US7 million ($A7.3 million) event.
But his touch on the greens deserted him and three putts after splashing out to 15 feet at the last put him back to two-under and provoked his angry response.
McIlroy had been in jovial mood all week after finishing second in Korea last Sunday, but refused to talk to reporters as he stomped back to the clubhouse.
Playing partner Gregory Bourdy of France completed a bogey-free round of 67 to sit fourth at six-under.
In third place is another Spaniard, Fernando Gonzalez-Castano, on seven-under. He was one of the few players to tame the fearsome 471-metre 18th hole as he made a birdie to return a 67.
Australian Marcus Fraser was five shots off the lead on 213 after rounds of 73, 70 and 70. Fraser was equal tenth with three others including England’s Lee Westwood.
England’s Simon Dyson was sensationally disqualified on Saturday before starting his third round.
He had been among six players tied for second place on four-under-par after day two.
Several emails and tweets from television viewers resulted in European Tour chief referee John Paramor calling for video footage of Dyson tapping down what looked like a spike mark with his golf ball on the eighth green on Friday during his second round.
Tour organisers said Dyson was too upset to talk about the incident.