The last time Royal County Down hosted the Irish Open in 2015, tournament host Rory McIlroy missed the cut with rounds of 80 and 71.
Nine years later, the world number three will head into Sunday's final round of the Amgen-sponsored event with a one-shot lead over Matteo Manassero in pursuit of what would be his first professional win in the North.
"It would be amazing," McIlroy said after a third round of 69 played in testing conditions, with winds gusting up to 55kmph.
"The last couple of times I’ve played in Northern Ireland it hasn’t really panned out the way I wanted, so to play a good three days here and be in the final group and give myself a chance tomorrow, I’m excited for the opportunity.
"After the sort of year that I’ve had and the close misses it wouldn’t make up for all of it, but it would go a long way in putting a nice shine on 2024 for me.
"I can't get that far ahead of myself, I need to go out and play another very solid round tomorrow to try to get the job done but I’m pleased with how the first three days have gone."
The fans in County Down didn't have to wait long for some Rory McIlroy magic in round three as he opens with an eagle after this stunning approach.
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With the opening three holes playing straight downwind, McIlroy’s eagle on the par-five first was the 10th of the day – his compatriot Tom McKibbin was inches away from an albatross – and, after dropping a shot on the fifth, the four-time major winner birdied the seventh to move into the outright lead.
Another birdie on the 13th looked set to help McIlroy establish a more sizeable lead, but a bogey on the last meant he had to settle for the joint-lowest score of the day and a 54-hole total of six under par.
"I definitely would have taken the score before I went out today," McIlroy said.
"Got off to the perfect start making a three on one and then it was just a matter of trying to par as many holes as possible.
"If you picked up a birdie here and there it was a bonus but I think to shoot in the 60s today in those conditions was a really good effort and it puts me in a great position going into tomorrow."
Overnight leader Manassero, who won his first DP World Tour title in more than 10 years in South Africa in March, battled to a third round of 72 to finish five under, with Robert MacIntyre, Jordan Smith, Erik van Rooyen and Rasmus Hojgaard all on three under.
Another birdie for McIlroy, as he moves to seven under
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There was disappointment for Shane Lowry though, with the Offaly man starting with three birdies to raise hopes of a charge on the lead, but he played the rest of the round in six over.
That left Lowry on two over for the tournament and realistically out of contention.
MacIntyre had an opposite round to Lowry as he had been four over after seven holes of round two, but played the remaining 11 in five under and was delighted to match McIlroy’s 69 on Saturday.
"I thought it was brilliant from kind of start to finish there," MacIntyre said.
"It was absolutely brutal. Even downwind, you think you’re going to get a bit of respite but it’s so hard to control the golf ball. It feels like there’s a disaster around the corner at any moment."
Victory tomorrow would make MacIntyre the first player to win the Scottish Open and Irish Open in the same season and the left-hander added: "What I set out to do at the start of the week was give myself a chance come Sunday.
"We're here now, and hopefully go out tomorrow, play well and fight hard and see where the cards fall."
Seamus Power and McKibbin got in and got their work done early and when all was said and done they were inside the top 30 heading into the decisive round.
Power had momentum behind him after a good 69 on Friday, and he was level par for his round with four birdies and four bogeys to sit on one over, seven shots off McIlroy.
With 69 the lowest round of the day, McKibbin can feel more than content with his 70.
The signs were good with an opening eagle after that superb approach that could have been even better with his next 16 holes containing 14 pars, a bogey at five and a birdie at 11.
The round did end on a sour note though as he bogeyed the par-five 18th having had to hack back into play after going left off the tee.
After a wonderful opening two days, 17-year-old amateur Seán Keeling was bettered by the course on Saturday with a third-round 81 seeing him fall to 10-over par in the wind.
His card featured six bogeys and two double bogeys, but there was a bright spot on the 12th as he picked up his first birdie of the day, sinking an eight-foot putt.
Additional reporting: PA
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