DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Rory McIlroy sank a short birdie putt on the 18th hole Saturday to remain tied with Luke Donald as the world’s two top-ranked golfers pulled three shots clear of a star-studded field after the third round of the Dubai World Championship.

The top-ranked McIlroy, who has already wrapped up the European and PGA Tour money titles, struggled early when he bogeyed the first hole and missed several makeable birdie putts. But he improved on the back nine, sinking a 30-foot eagle putt on 14 to go with three birdies for a 6-under 66.

Donald also had a 66 and is tied with McIlory with a 17-under total of 199.

“I’ve done a majority of my scoring this week on the back nine and that’s the way it went today,” McIlroy said. “Took me a few holes to adjust. But once I got comfortable, I started to hit some good shots and give myself opportunities for birdies.”

Donald had his third consecutive bogey-free round and has now gone 100 holes at the Dubai tournament without one. If he wins Sunday without carding a bogey, he will match the feat of Sweden’s Jesper Parnevik, who won the 1995 Scandinavian Masters without dropping a shot.

“I was, again, just trying to play solid golf, minimize mistakes,” said Donald, who won in Japan last week to overtake Tiger Woods for the No. 2 spot in the rankings. “I guess it’s a testament to how I play the game. I kind of keep the ball in front of me and, when I get in trouble, I’ve got a good short game to bail myself out.”

South Africans Louis Oosthuizen (68) and Charl Schwartzel (67) are three shots back, while compatriot Branden Grace and Joostis Luiten of France are a further two shots behind. Seven others are six shots off the pace, including Scotsman Marc Warren, who started the day tied with McIlroy and Donald but had three bogeys on his first 12 holes to fall out of contention.

The round of the day, however, went to Jeev Milkha Singh. Still recovering from a hand injury and worried about his mother, who was hospitalized after a fall, the Indian golfer shot a 64 to match the course record and move into a tie for 25th. He strung together three consecutive birdies on the front nine and four straight after the turn in a round that included a total of nine birdies to go with a lone bogey on the 10th.

“I dedicate this round to my mother,” Singh said. “She was in the ICU yesterday. I learned about it just before I teed off.”

Though McIlroy and Donald didn’t play together, it seemed the world’s top golfers were having a duel of sorts all day.

Donald struck first, sinking two birdie putts on the first three holes, while McIlroy hit his opening drive into a bunker and settled for a bogey.

McIlroy pulled a shot back with a birdie on No. 3 and then sank a 25-foot birdie putt on the sixth hole before Donald sank birdies on 7 and 9 to extend his lead.

But just when it seemed Donald might pull away, McIlroy made consecutive birdies on the 11th and 12th. With Donald extending his lead by two with a 20-foot birdie putt on No. 14, McIlroy needed something special to keep pace.

On the par-5 14th, McIlroy hit what he called a “great drive” followed by a 4-iron that landed in the middle of the green. He curled the 30-foot putt to draw even with Donald.

“I was just trying to hit it on the green somewhere and give myself at least a chance for eagle and probably a two-putt birdie,” McIlroy said. “But I got up there and it was 25, 30 feet away and I guess it was a downhill putt that I was just trying to get close. It was on a good line and it was a good speed and it was a bonus that it went in. Obviously, it got me tied, which was nice.”

DUBAI WORLD

CHAMPIONSHIP SCORES

Saturday

At Jumeirah Golf Estates (Earth Course)

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Purse: $8 million

Yardage: 7,675; Par: 72

Third Round

Luke Donald, England 65-68-66 — 199

Rory McIlory, Northern Ireland 66-67-66 — 199

Charl Schwartzel, South Africa 68-67-67 — 202

Louis Oosthuizen, South Africa 67-67-68 — 202

Joost Luiten, Netherlands 69-68-67 — 204

Branden Grace, South Africa 69-65-70 — 204

Romain Wattel, France 70-68-67 — 205

George Coetzee, South Africa 71-67-67 — 205

Thongchai Jaidee, Thailand 68-69-68 — 205

Jamie Donaldson, Wales 68-68-69 — 205

Henrik Stenson, Sweden 68-68-69 — 205

Justin Rose, England 68-68-69 — 205

Marc Warren, Scotland 66-67-72 — 205

Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, Spain 66-72-68 — 206

Padraig Harrington, Ireland 67-71-68 — 206

Peter Hanson, Sweden 69-67-70 — 206

Danny Willett, England 71-65-70 — 206

Peter Lawrie, Ireland 68-72-67 — 207

Raphael Jacquelin, France 69-67-71 — 207

Thomas Aiken, South Africa 70-66-71 — 207

Ian Poulter, England 72-70-67 — 209

Martin Kaymer, Germany 67-70-72 — 209

Sergio Garcia, Spain 73-64-73 — 210

Nicolas Colsaerts, Belgium 68-68-74 — 210

Miguel Angel Jimenez, Spain 71-71-69 — 211

Lee Westwood, England 67-74-71 — 212

Paul Lawrie, Scotland 71-72-70 — 213

Francesco Molinari, Italy 72-71-71 — 214

Graeme McDowell, Northern Ireland 72-73-73 — 218