Firmer and speedier conditions added to a huge downturn in the low scores of the initial two rounds, yet Thomas still figured out how to make six birdies while additionally dropping three shots as he opened up a three-stroke advantage on 14 under standard.

Thomas will play the last round close by 2014 champion McIlroy, who struggled hard to keep an intruder off his card in a three-birdie 67 which lifted him to 11 under, while medium-term co-pioneer Ian Poulter stays in the chase notwithstanding a whimsical 70 including four birdies and the same number of intruder.

Be that as it may, Tommy , who imparted the midway prompt Poulter and Thomas, tumbled seven shots off the pace after a battered 74, while Tiger Woods' expectations of a ninth triumph in the last organizing of the occasion in Akron were scuppered by a 73.

Thomas will be most loved to arrive his lady WGC title and give himself a definitive certainty support in front of his safeguard of one week from now's PGA Championship, where he will play with McIlroy and Woods over the initial two rounds at Bellerive.

The world No 3, who is showing up in Akron, slipped to one over for the day when he took after a birdie at the second with intruder at two of the following three openings, however he organized a noteworthy recuperation as he changed over a couple of five-foot birdie putts on six and eight to get back under the card.

Thomas has a three-shot lead over McIlroy and Poulter

Thomas at that point thundered clear of the pursuing pack when he got three shots in five openings after the turn, incorporating a wonderful chip-in at the short twelfth, in spite of the fact that he at that point blotched his card again in the wake of missing the green at the fifteenth before parring securely in.

With Poulter persevering through a conflicting summary the stretch, McIlroy accepted the open door to book his place in Sunday's last matching as he making the most of his second imperfection free round of the week.

McIlroy carded a solid 67 and kept a bogey off his card

McIlroy made a sure begin with a birdie at the prior second missing a bunch of further openings while additionally doing great to scramble standards before finding a reward on the ninth green when he holed from near 30 feet for a three.

The 29-year-old was angry to miss another birdie putt from four feet at the tenth, and he delivered a crucial standard spare at 15 preceding making birdie at 17 for the second day running - this time with a 15-foot putt as opposed to his brilliant fortification gap out on Friday.

Poulter is still firmly in contention despite a mixed-bag of a 70

McIlroy missed from comparable range on the last green to remain at 11 under nearby Poulter, who guaranteed the through and through lead at an early stage with consecutive birdies at the second and third before giving one back at the seventh.

Poulter steadied himself with a keep running of standards before blending three intruder with a couple of birdies in a bright five-gap extend from the thirteenth, and a standard at the last kept him in an offer of second and one in front of Jason Day, who checked his fourth intruder of the day at the last to restore a 69.

Day's kindred Australian Marc Leishman is one further back after a brave 67, while Rickie Fowler gave himself an outside possibility of triumph with a shimmering five-birdie 65, the low round of the day hoisting the fan most loved to eight under.

Fleetwood's test has all the earmarks of being over after he blended two birdies with four intruder - including two throughout the last two openings - and one twofold intruder at the fourth as he collided with seven under.

Tiger Woods made only one birdie as he slid 11 shots behind

Woods, in the interim, conceded he battled amid his warm-up on the range and he additionally endured on the greens, making just a single birdie against four intruder in a disillusioning 73 which saw him slide 11 strokes off the pace.