Rory McIlroy’s £6m chase

RORY McIlroy hoped he had saved his best for last as the battle for a £6 million payday went down to the wire in Atlanta.

McIlroy, Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Brandt Snedeker and Nick Watney came into the final week of the FedEx Cup play-offs knowing the staggering payout would be theirs if they won the Tour Championship.

And it was Snedeker who emerged as the most likely to do so yesterday with a third round of 64 to share the lead on eight under par with England’s Justin Rose.

American Ryan Moore (65) was alone in third on six under, with McIlroy sharing fourth place on five under with Masters champion Bubba Watson and Jim Furyk.

McIlroy’s 68 was his 11th successive sub-70 score, but the 23-year-old world No.1 knows he could need even better today to deny Snedeker.

The Northern Irishman, who carded two bogeys and four birdies, admitted saving par on the 18th from a greenside bunker could prove crucial, adding: “It depends on how I play tomorrow. I wanted to make it [the par putt] because I didn’t want to give a shot away right at the end.”

He added: “I felt like I played pretty solid but you have to stay patient.

“It’s one of those courses where I don’t think anyone is really going that low. I might need one and hopefully I have saved it for the last day.”

Furyk, who lifted the huge prize two years ago, moved out in front on Friday by going to the turn in a spectacular 29 and handing in a 64. He still had a share of the lead on the 17th yesterday, but ran up a triple-bogey seven after finding water off the tee.