Lee Westwood continued to hold Rory McIlroy at bay early in the third round of the Dubai World Championship on Saturday - thanks to some more brilliant putting.

After taking a two-stroke overnight lead with a 20-foot closing birdie effort, Westwood saved par on the first from almost as far and then rolled in a curling 30-footer only three holes later.

The world number five was 10 under par as a result, but after missing a five-foot birdie opportunity on the opening green McIlroy cut the gap to one by making birdies at the long second and 407-yard fifth.

The two stablemates are first and second on the European Tour Order of Merit, but although McIlroy is the one with a lead of more than £114,000, a Westwood victory on Sunday would earn him over £700,000 from the tournament and almost £900,000 more for topping the money list.

It looks to have come down to the two of them with German Martin Kaymer only four under with five holes of his round to play and Ross Fisher two further back after a 70.

Westwood was caught at the top of the leaderboard - not that he knew because caddie Billy Foster has banned him from looking while out on the course this week - when Camilo Villegas birdied the first two holes.

But the Colombian bogeyed the short fourth and McIlroy was alone in second place.

Joint third were Villegas, Padraig Harrington, England's Ross McGowan and Swede Alexander Noren.

Fisher gave himself a chance to getting back in the race by collecting five birdies in the first eight, but then came bogeys on the ninth and 10th.