Stephen Gallacher has put himself in position to defend his title at the Dubai Desert Classic after playing perfectly in his last 10 holes at the Emirates Golf Club.

Gallacher's nine-under-par of 63 helped him get a score of 16-under, which allowed him to topple two-time Grand Slam champion Rory McIlroy (14-under) on top of the leaderboard.

Still, Gallacher is aware his lead is nothing but precarious as he faces more pressure from contenders such as McIlroy, Brooks Koepka (12-under), and Thorbjorn Olesen (12-under).

The Scottish golfer was thankful for the strong run he had on the third day of the tournament, which saw him scoring an eagle and a bunch of birdies.

"It was quite a struggle to start with, especially the first three holes," Gallacher told BBC News. "I hit it stiff on nine and from then on just kept hitting it close, and if I hit it to 30 feet I holed it. I was just trying to make as many birdies as I could and get a lead because I found the last time it's easier when you are leading than chasing."

McIlroy, who was smoking hot with a 63 on the first day, recorded a 69 after finishing with a 70 on the second day. Still, the Irishman believes he's in a strong position to retake his lead and bag the title on the final day.

"I played okay," McIlroy said during posy-round press conference via BBC News. "I felt like I could've hit a few more fairways and holed a few more putts, but two shots behind isn't bad. I've been in similar positions before and come out on top, so hopefully I can do it again."

"What Stevie did was phenomenal. I didn't know he was 10 under for the last 10 holes. That's some golf right there, especially as you've got some tough holes on the back nine. So that's very, very impressive," he added.

Meanwhile, the world's No. 1-ranked golfer, Tiger Woods, hit a 70 after scoring a 73 in the second round. Woods has been shaky with his putting so far this season, prompting golfing pundits to question his level of competitiveness as he heads into the first Grand Slam of the Year, at the Masters.

Live Stream, Pairings, Tee Times & Leaderboards & Schedule

The fourth round of the Dubai Desert Classic will begin at 10 p.m. EST Saturday. Pairings, Tee Times & Leaderboard Updates are available on ESPN Golf, while The Golf Channel will provide TV coverage of the tournament. It can also be watched via Live Stream at Golf Channel Extra.