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Rory McIlroy remains within reach of another PGA title and $10million ahead of the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles after three rounds of the Tour Championship in Atlanta.
Standing in his way will be home favourite Billy Horschel who carded a third straight round in the 60s, 69 on Saturday, in a titanic battle for the richest prize in golf.
McIlroy, already the 2014 Open Championship winner and US PGA champion, and Horschel were among the five players who arrived at East Lake knowing a victory would also secure the overall FedEx Cup title and the duo remained in control of their own destiny on nine under par.
They were two clear of 2010 FedEx winner Jim Furyk (67) and three of England's Justin Rose, who shot a second straight 66, Australian Jason Day (70) and American Rickie Fowler (67).
Horschel began the day with a two-shot lead over McIlroy after consecutive rounds of 66, but the Northern Irishman joined him at the top with a cool three-under-par 67.
McIlroy spectacularly eagled the par-five 15th to join Horschel in a tie for the lead after Furyk, whose last win on tour was in this event in 2010 to secure the FedEx Cup title, led in the clubhouse on seven-under thanks to a final birdie on the 16th.
The world No 1 had surprisingly not birdied either of the par fives in the first two rounds, but made amends by following his birdie on the ninth with an eagle on the 15th by holing from 25 feet.
Horschel, who won the BMW Championship last week, has vowed to stay and complete the tournament even if his wife goes into premature labour and he boosted his chances of a win with a birdie from six feet on the eighth before both players two-putted the par-five ninth to maintain the three-shot gap.
That gap looked certain to be back to two shots when Horschel failed to get up and down from right of the 10th green, but McIlroy missed from three feet for par and had to hole from further away to avoid one of the two four-putts he suffered last week.
McIlroy had surprisingly not birdied either of the par fives in the first two rounds, but made amends by following his birdie on the ninth on Saturday with an eagle on the 15th by holing from 25 feet.
"I hadn't really played the par fives well all week and it was a big putt for me," McIlroy added after his 67. "That was a big turning point which got me tied for the lead. It was pretty scrappy coming in but I managed to salvage the pars (on 17 and 18). I feel like my short game really saved me today."
Horschel had reached 11 under par following birdies on the second, eighth and ninth, but bogeys on the 10th and 13th in a round of 69 allowed several more players back into contention, with England's Justin Rose, American Rickie Fowler and Australian Jason Day all three off the lead on six under.
Rose was two over par after an opening 72 but carded back-to-back rounds of 66 and said: "This is all I could have asked for after the first round. I said I needed to shoot two rounds in the mid-60s to give myself a chance on Sunday and that's what I have done."
Fowler has finished in the top five in all four majors this year but still has just one PGA Tour win to his name.
The 25-year-old said: "It would be awesome (to get a win). We're in a good position. It would have been nice to have been a bit closer with a couple more putts going in towards the end of the day, but maybe we're saving those until tomorrow."
Third Round Leaderboard:
Rory McIlroy (NI) -9
Billy Horschel (USA) -9
Jim Furyk (USA) -7
Justin Rose (ENG) -6
Jason Day (AUS) -6
Rickie Fowler (USA) -6
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