Three wins, the FedExCup, and Player of the Year honors may not be enough for Rory McIlroy in 2019.

Off his third consecutive round of 67, McIlroy at 15 under par leads the WGC-HSBC Champions by one through 54 holes in Shanghai.

On Sunday, he’ll try to hold off Louis Oosthuizen, Xander Schauffele, Matthew Fitzpatrick and the rest of the chase pack as he looks to win for the fourth time in a little more than seven months.

His Saturday scorecard didn’t sport as many birdies as did Thursday’s and Friday’s, but it was for the first time this week bogey-free.

“I feel like I sort of weathered a mini-storm at the start [of the round],” McIlroy said. “My lie at the fist was horrendous and to make 4 from there … I birdied the second, which you should. And then I was in a divot at the third, was able to get that up and down out of the bunker.

“And then, after that, the round started to get going.”

McIlroy built what we called a “gradual round,” picking up shots at Nos. 6, 9, 14 and 18 to edge in front of Oosthuizen and take the outright 54-hole lead.

The Ulsterman has actually won six times on the PGA Tour since he last claimed a European Tour title at the 2016 Irish Open. A victory would add to his win total on both circuits and give him his third World Golf Championship, following the 2014 WGC-Bridgestone and 2015 Match Play. It would also move him closer to Brooks Koepka in his quest to take back the top spot in the Official World Golf Ranking.

McIlroy says the plan for Sunday will simply be to keep the ball in fairway and out of the penal rough at Sheshan International. He mentioned after his round on Saturday that even though some of his quality birdie putts didn’t drop, he nonetheless took advantage of Shenshan’s gettable holes.

If he can play a similar round Sunday and perhaps post his fourth consecutive 67, then it’s going to take something special to pass him.

“If I can just keep it in the fairway – and even that means hitting iron off 10 today, like I did, or laying up on 16 — if I can just get the ball in the fairway, I feel like I can make enough birdies out here to keep my nose in front.

“If I go out tomorrow and replicate what I’ve done the first three days and put another 67 up on the board, I think I’ll be pretty hard to beat.”

SHANGHAI — On a day when eight players had a chance to take the lead at the HSBC Champions, Rory McIlroy found the best way to move forward was to not go backward.

He didn't get the most out of his round Saturday at Sheshan International.

But he had the lead.

''I'm not going to complain,'' McIlroy said after 5-under 67 with no bogeys on his card. ''I'm in the lead going into tomorrow. Just need to rest up and try to get out there and play another good, solid round of golf.''

McIlroy hit a towering lob wedge that spun down the ridge to 3 feet for birdie on the par-5 closing hole to take a one-shot lead over Louis Oosthuizen on a day of big runs and unseemly collapses.

He had neither.

McIlroy only had to stress twice for par, and not after the third hole. He wound up at 15-under 201 as he goes for his first World Golf Championship since 2015, his fourth victory of the year and a chance to move a little closer to the No. 1 ranking.

Oosthuizen began the third round with five straight birdies and finished with two birdies over his last three holes for a 65.

''Five in a row and then just played decent,'' Oosthuizen said. ''Need to have another good one tomorrow.'

Li Haotong of China had a robust crowd going early with five birdies through six holes to take the lead, only to shoot 42 on the back nine for a 74 that knocked him out of contention.

Defending champion Xander Schauffele felt a little better in his fight to recover from the flu, and it showed early when he opened with three straight birdies and missed an 8-foot putt that would have been four in a row. He overcame a few mistakes around the turn and finished with three straight birdies for a 68 to finish two off the lead and get into the final group.

This is the only World Golf Championships event where no one has won back-to-back, and Schauffele is in the best shape to try to keep the WGCs in American hands for the eighth straight time.

''I wasn't expecting to play this well at the beginning of the week, so I'm probably the happiest guy in the tournament,'' he said.

Schauffele was tied at 13-under with Matt Fitzpatrick (70), who kept his bogey-free streak going with a 70-foot par putt on the fifth hole, only to miss a 4-foot par putt on the seventh hole, his first bogey since the first hole of the tournament.

He dropped two more shots on the back and didn't make enough birdies - or as many birdies as everyone around him on another prime afternoon in Shanghai - to keep pace.

Eight players were within five shots of the lead, including Sungjae Im (70) and Match Play champion Kevin Kisner (67), both hopeful of being wild-card selections next week for the Presidents Cup.

But they are chasing McIlroy, no small task when he's swinging like this.

''Played with Rory the last two rounds last week. He's absolutely striping it,'' Oosthuizen said. ''I need to play really good golf tomorrow.''

Oosthuizen did his part early with five straight birdies, and he wasn't alone in making a move up the leaderboard. When the final group reached the par-5 eighth hole, the leaderboard behind the green had Li at 13 under, three others at 12 under, and two more at 11 under. McIlroy was 2 under at that point and felt as though he wasn't getting enough out of his round.

McIlroy missed a 5-foot birdie putt, but he answered with a bold 7-iron over the water to 4 feet for birdie on the ninth. More importantly, he didn't give anything back.

''I guess at that point I felt like I needed to get more out of my round to get into the lead, but the back nine played tough,'' he said. ''I did what I needed to do. I birdied the two par 5s and didn't drop any shots.''

He left that to everyone around him.

Li's problems started behind the eighth green with a shot so delicate out of the Bermuda rough that he stubbed it only a few inches. He did well to escape with bogey. But on the 13th, Li went from a greenside bunker over the green and into a hazard, leading to triple bogey. He bogeyed his last two holes.

Adam Scott was two shots out of the lead until a double bogey on the par-5 eight, and bogeys on the ninth and 11th holes. He never recovered and hit into the water on the 18th, getting up-and-down to save par for a 75.

Paul Waring of England had eight birdies until going into the water on the 18th for a bogey and a 66, leaving him three shots back.

And then there was Phil Mickelson, who made only two pars over his final 13 holes - along with four birdies and seven bogeys - for a 75 that left him 14 shots behind. In a tie for 38th, Mickelson is likely to soon end his streak of nearly 26 years in the top 50, a record for the Official World Golf Ranking.

TAIPEI, Taiwan — Defending champion Nelly Korda shot a 7-under 65 to take a three-stroke lead after Saturday's third round of the LPGA Swinging Skirts.

Korda, who started the third round one stroke back of overnight leader Mi Jung Hur, carded seven birdies at the par-72 Miramar Golf Country Club to finish at 18-under 198, three strokes ahead of Minjee Lee, who shot a 67.

Lee briefly moved into a tie with Korda after back-to-back birdies on the 11th and 12th. But Korda quickly regained the lead with a birdie of her own on the par-5 12th.

Caroline Masson shot 66 and was in third place, four strokes behind.

Jin Young Ko, the No. 1-ranked player in the world, withdrew during the third round. She was 2 over after 10 holes and 5 over on the tournament. No immediate reason was given for her withdrawal.

Mi Jung Hur, who is looking for her third victory this season, shot a 71 and was in fourth place at 13-under 203.

Brooke Henderson, who shot a 64 on Friday, had five birdies against a pair of bogeys and a double bogey for a 71 that left her at 10-under 206.

Azahara Munoz was tied with Henderson in ninth place after a 64 that included seven birdies, an eagle and a bogey.

England prop Kyle Sinckler was taken off with concussion in the third minute of the Rugby World Cup final against South Africa.

The 26-year-old collided with team-mate Maro Itoje, trying to tackle Makazole Mapimpi, and immediately hit the floor.

There was a lengthy stoppage as Sinckler was assessed by the on-duty doctor, before he regained consciousness and walked off the field.

The Harlequins front-row was replaced by 32-year-old Dan Cole.

Analysis

Former England international and BBC Radio 5 Live pundit Paul Grayson

Sinckler's a runner, key to those pivot plays England use. Dan Cole is a good tight-head but not as nimble.

You think in an hour, with the pressure he'll be under, he's going to be drained.

Battling the flu this week in Shanghai, Xander Schauffele appeared in danger on falling off the pace Saturday at the WGC-HSBC Champions before a furious finish put him in position to potentially defend his title Sunday.

Just 1 under on his round through 15 holes and 2 over through his last 12, Schauffele was stalled and appeared in danger of throwing away a birdie opportunity at the 288-yard, par-4 16th when his tee shot found the fairway bunker.

But it was this approach from 98 yards that sparked a late turnaround.

He followed with a lengthy make at the par-3 17th and one more circle at the par-5 18th to finish birdie-birdie-birdie, sign for a 4-under 68, and position himself just two behind solo leader Rory McIlroy through 54 holes.

The winner last year in a playoff over Tony Finau, Schauffele now looks to become the first player to successfully defend at the HSBC-Champions in its 14-year history.

Surprising though it may be for a player of his caliber, Louis Oosthuizen has just a single PGA Tour victory to his name: his major breakthrough at the 2010 Open Championship at St. Andrews.

But after a Saturday 65 in China, Oosthuizen has once again put himself in position for a long-overdue follow-up.

The South African will enter Sunday at the WGC-HSBC Champions 14 under par, just one off the 54-hole pace set by leader Rory McIlroy.

Oosthuizen poured in nine birdies in the third round and briefly appeared headed for 18-under 54 when he circled each of his first five holes.

He'd add four more birdies, including a two-putt 4 at the par-5 18th, and two bogeys to work his way into solo second.

Although he's captured just that one PGA Tour title — a pretty important one, at that — Oosthuizen is a nine-time European Tour winner who most recently took the South African Open in December of last year.

His best finish in a World Golf Championship was a loss to Jason Day in the final of the 2016 Match Play. It's one of eight Tour runner-ups for Oosthuizen, who has recorded second-place finishes at all four majors and The Players Championship.

Tasmania 226 & 2 for 31 need 108 more runs to beat Victoria 127 and 237 (Harris 60, Handscomb 52, Bird 4-65)

Early strikes from Victoria quicks Peter Siddle and Chirs Tremain put Tasmania on the back foot in their small chase before rain arrived in Hobart.

Tasmania needed just 139 to win in the fourth innings after bowling Victoria out for 237 in their second innings. But their chase was rocked first ball when Beau Webster was caught by Will Pucovski off Siddle.

Tremain and Siddle tightened the screws under very dark skies to build pressure on Tasmania's top order. Alex Doolan and Charlie Wakim scored just one boundary between them in 87 deliveries.

Doolan eventually made an error in judgement opting to leave a late inswinger from Tremain to be trapped lbw. That was the last ball bowled for the day as rain sent the players off and they never returned.

Earlier in the day, Jackson Bird picked up two of the last four wickets of Victoria's second innings to finish with 4 for 65 but the visitor's tail wagged to give them a target to defend.

Sam Harper and Tremain only made 17 and 14 respectively but they frustrated Tasmania with obdurate occupation before Siddle and Scott Boland added 39 for the ninth wicket. Boland made 24 while Siddle finished with 21 to give themselves something to bowl at.

Western Australia 7 for 255 (Marsh 77, Green 50*, Gannon 4-74) against Queensland

Shaun Marsh continued his tantalising form with another half century but a skilful spell of seam bowling from Cameron Gannon helped Queensland restrict Western Australia on an even first day of the Sheffield Shield clash at the Gabba.

Marsh, playing his 100th Shield match for Western Australia, salvaged the visitors innings with a sumptuous 77 after they had slumped to 2 for 2 in the third over having been sent in to bat.

Marsh struck 13 elegant boundaries in his 167-ball innings. He looked set for another hundred but fell just after tea, getting an inside edge onto pad to be caught at short leg off Mitch Swepson.

Marsh now has scores of 77, 82, 85, 85 and 214 in 10 innings for Western Australia across both the Marsh Cup and the Shield this summer although it is unlikely he will be recalled to the Test team.

After Marsh's departure, Western Australia collapsed at the hands of Gannon. Having lured Sam Whiteman into a false drive with his first ball of the day Gannon returned after tea to take three more wickets and leave Western Australia struggling at 7 for 171, having been 2 for 120 prior to tea following a 118-run stand between Marcus Stoinis (44) and Marsh.

However, Queensland would not take another wicket for the day with promising allrounder Cameron Green and Jhye Richardson combining for an unbeaten 84-run partnership before bad light stopped play. Green looked very comfortable in making his maiden first-class half-century in his 11th innings and he got good support from Richardson who remained 35 not out.

Earlier, there were further concerns for Test aspirant Cameron Bancroft who was caught at leg gully for a duck. It is the third time in three Shield matches he has been dismissed in such fashion.

South Australia 7 for 222 (Head 109) trail New South Wales 289 (Solway 133*, Nevill 53, Sayers 8-64)

With the decision looming on Australia's Test batting line-up, Travis Head made a timely century against a strong New South Wales attack to shore up South Australia's first innings at Adelaide Oval although the visitors ended the second day with the advantage.

Head, who was left out of the final Ashes Test when Australia rebalanced their side with Mitchell Marsh, had made an unconvincing start to the first-class season with a scratchy half-century on a flat pitch at Junction Oval before scores of 0 and 12 against Queensland.

However, he was named in the Australia A side to face Pakistan in Perth later this month in what is billed as a showdown for probably two batting spots with Head vying for a middle-order role. He will now enter that game with confidence having brought up his 11th first-class hundred from 200 deliveries with a boundary off Australia team-mate Josh Hazlewood, but he could not reach the close as Hazlewood hit back during an impressive spell with the second new ball.

There was less from the rest of the batting order than he would have liked. Trent Copeland struck early to trap Jake Weatherald lbw although the batsman indicated he got an inside edge and Callum Ferguson edged to gully. Copeland struck again when a Henry Hunt got into a tangle against a short ball to leave South Australia 3 for 68.

Tom Cooper helped Head added 73 for the fourth wicket only to send a top edge to fine leg where Hazlewood took a well-judged catch. Another 50-run partnership followed before Nathan Lyon earned reward for a probing spell by having Harry Nielsen caught at slip, the batsman happy to take the word of Copeland that the ball had carried.

When Tom Andrews was caught behind off Moises Henriques shortly before the second new ball New South Wales were firmly on top and the removal of Head left them sensing a handy lead.

The day had started with New South Wales seven down in their first innings and Chadd Sayers claimed two of the remaining wickets to finish with a career-best 8 for 64. Debutant Daniel Solway, who marked the opening day with a century, finished unbeaten on 133.