Rory McIlroy turned a four-stroke deficit into a four-shot win on the last day in America last year.

But the 21-year-old faces an even bigger task in the desert tomorrow despite a sparkling birdie-eagle finish to his third round at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.

Firstly, it still left second-placed McIlroy with a five-stroke deficit. And secondly, the man he is chasing is course specialist Martin Kaymer.

First, second and first the last three years - and with only bogey in his last 79 holes - the 26-year-old German is now odds-on to take the world number two spot off Tiger Woods in fitting style.

Far from being troubled by McIlroy's closing burst for a joint best-of-the-day 65, Kaymer birdied them both for a 66 and hugely impressive 18 under par total.

"Everybody knows Rory is one of the best players in the world - but I am not too bad either!" said last season's European Tour number one and winner of golf's last major championship.

He is now 74 under par for his last 15 rounds on what he now jokingly calls "my home course". Only one of them has not been in the sixties and he has led after six of the last seven.

"Martin is a very good leader. He does not lose many tournaments from the position he is in," said McIlroy.

"But if I give myself as many opportunities as I did today I am sure there is a low score out there and hopefully I will go very close.

"Maybe if he has an off day and I have a good one you never know."

The incentive is certainly there. If McIlroy, third last year, does win he could leap all the way from 12th in the world to a best-ever fourth - and back ahead of his compatriot and Ryder Cup partner Graeme McDowell.

The US Open champion resumed in third place, but a 71 saw him slip to joint sixth nine adrift of Kaymer, who also birdied the third, fifth, 11th and 15th in a second successive flawless display.

Neither of the top two expected to what they have so far this week

after lengthy breaks.

"It's a big surprise," said Kaymer. "My driving did not feel so good today, but my putting feels good and I made a lot of unexpected birdies.

"It's just fun to play. Now I expect to win and I would like to win by as many as possible.

"I am leading by five and if I play the same I should be fine, but to know you are playing with a great player who can shoot low is a challenge I am looking forward to."

Kaymer needs only a top seven finish to put Woods down to third in the rankings for the first time since October 2004.

And he also looks like biting a sizeable chunk out of the gap between himself and Lee Westwood at the top.

Having made the cut with nothing to spare at level par, Westwood added only a 73 and will resume joint 65th of the 70 remaining players.

Colin Montgomerie was hoping for his first top 10 since June 2008, but with a 75 slumped from 11th to 48th.

Not a great day for Masters champion Phil Mickelson either. A 72 kept him three under, but dropped him from 25th to 39th. He could be as low as seventh in the world tomorrow night.