Justin Rose leads the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship by two strokes after 54 holes.

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Justin Rose two clear at the top of the leaderboard with one round left to play in Abu Dhabi

Denmark's Thorbjorn Olesen and Jamie Donaldson of Wales tied for second

Justin Rose will take a two-shot lead into the final round of the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship after posting a four-under par 68 on Saturday.

With Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods fluffing shots (and their lines) on Friday, it was left to the Englishman to take center stage at the Abu Dhabi Golf Course with another impressive display of ball-striking.

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After bogeying the opening hole, Rose quickly made amends picking up five shots in six holes to reach the turn in 32.

Another birdie at the par three 12th saw Rose temporarily move four strokes clear of the field before dropped shots at the 13th and 17th checked his progress. But a birdie at the final hole ensured the 32-year-old finished two clear on 12-under par.

“I played really, really well today. Every time I had the club in the hand I was telling the guys outside that I felt like I was going to hit a good shot and that’s not always the case,” Rose said.

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“It snuck up on me. I think that’s when you play your best golf, when you are not at all aware of how well you are going,” he added.

Rose, who is looking to claim a sixth European Tour title, is two shots clear of Denmark’s Thorbjorn Olesen and Jamie Donaldson of Wales – both men posting rounds of 69 on Saturday.

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Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee fired a six-under par round of 66 to leave him in fourth on nine-under par with England’s David Howell (68), Scotland’s Richie Ramsay (67) and Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano of Spain (71) one shot further back.

A seven-under par round of 65 helped Australia’s Andrew Dodt jump 28 places up the leaderboard into a tie for eighth place on seven-under with Portugal’s Ricardo Santos (66) and Kiwi Michael Campbell (69).