McGinley & O'Meara tied into last round

Playing partners Paul McGinley and Mark O'Meara could not be separated after a tense battle for the lead in the fog-delayed Dubai Desert Classic third round on Saturday.

Irishman McGinley chipped in for birdie at the last for a three-under-par 69, drawing level with American O'Meara, who returned a 68 after forging one shot clear with three consecutive birdies from the 14th.

The pair finished at 14-under 202, with Britain's Brian Davis a further three strokes back in third after a 69.

Paul Casey (70), Simon Dyson (70) and Bradley Dredge (72) tied for fourth at nine-under 207.

Twice major champion O'Meara is chasing his first tour title since 1998 while McGinley, who holed the winning putt for Europe at the 2002 Ryder Cup, is bidding for his first European crown in two and half years.

"I just tried to hang in there and rattled off three birdies on the back side," said the 47-year-old O'Meara, whose last official tour victories were the U.S. Masters and British Open in 1998.

"I'm just thankful to be in this position, tied for the lead after 54 holes. It's been a while, but I'm playing pretty well."

McGinley, winless since he clinched the 2001 Wales Open in a playoff, said his chip-in at the last had not made much of a difference.

"Nobody's out of the equation yet the way this golf course is playing," he said. "It's playing like a major now. It's a real challenge."

"It didn't really blow that much today but, if we get some wind tomorrow, anyone could win from seven, eight, nine shots behind.

"The greens are so firm and the course changed completely from the first two days."

World number one Tiger Woods kept his hopes alive, recovering from an out-of-sorts first nine to return a three-under-par 69 in soaring temperatures at Emirates Golf Club.

The eight-times major winner struggled with his approach play into the quickening greens but a mix of four birdies and one bogey left him tied for fifth at eight-under 208, and six off the lead.

"I figured the leaders wouldn't run away with it today with the greens firming up as they are," said the 28-year-old.

"I'm putting well. I just need to give myself a look at the hole. The hard part is getting them close enough with the greens as firm as they are."

The expected third-round charge by Ernie Els, champion in 1994 and 2002, never materialised. He faded to an even-par 72 after making a fast start.

The big-hitting South African holed a 30-foot birdie putt from just off the first green after missing the fairway off the tee and picked up another shot at the par-five third to get to eight under.

However, he then fluctuated wildly, mixing bogeys at eight, 13, 16 and 18 with birdies at 14 and 17 to fall back into a tie for 15th at six under.

McGinley, who had produced 14 birdies in 24 holes the previous day, including eight in a row, initially struggled to make a move in the final group of the day.

He and O'Meara parred the first six holes before collecting back-to-back birdies on seven and eight and they reached the turn at two-under 33.

Further pars followed on 10 and 11 before the Irishman forged two strokes clear, O'Meara bogeying the par-four 12th after finding palm trees off the tee.

The American rallied, however, in dramatic style.

He holed a 12-foot birdie putt at the par-four 14th to trim McGinley's lead to one, drew level when he struck his tee shot to six feet on 15 and then forged ahead with another birdie at the 425-yard 16th.

O'Meara could only par the last two holes before McGinley signed off with his remarkable chip-in at the last.

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