Skip to content Eugenio Chacarra refused to settle for safety in his pursuit of the Race to Dubai crown, firing a wild round of nine birdies on Saturday to pull level with Rory McIlroy at Jumeirah Golf Estates. The Spaniard entered the week with a 533.93-point advantage over McIlroy, but two sluggish opening rounds of 72 and 71 had temporarily handed the advantage back to his rival.
Instead of fading away, Chacarra exploded down the stretch in round three. He picked up four birdies over his final six holes to sign for a four-under 68, lifting himself to five under par alongside McIlroy. Both men sit four strokes off the tournament lead held by Tyrrell Hatton, setting up a thrilling Sunday duel in the desert.
Also read: DP World Tour Championship: McIlroy, Hatton Share Lead
For Chacarra, merely defending his season-long buffer is not the target. He wants the tournament trophy and the Harry Vardon Trophy together on the final green.
How Chacarra took back the Race to Dubai lead
McIlroy looked poised to take full control earlier in the afternoon. The world No 2 briefly jumped to the top of the tournament leaderboard, eyeing a record-equalling eighth Order of Merit title. Then his momentum ground to a sudden halt.
A stuttering third-round 72 stalled McIlroy at five under. That stumble opened the door for Chacarra, who has already won three times on tour this year, to battle his way back into projected top spot. The Spaniard endured plenty of turbulence during his 68, but his aggressive response paid off when he needed it most.
“I just want to win the tournament. I’m not far away. I know if I win the tournament, I win the ranking, so that’s what I wanted to do in Abu Dhabi and I want to do it here.”
Chacarra knows a tournament win makes all external math irrelevant. If he lifts the trophy on Sunday afternoon, he shuts out every challenger and wraps up his first European season title in style.
The math facing McIlroy in the Race to Dubai
Nine players walked onto the Earth Course on Thursday with a mathematical shot at the season crown. Most of that chasing pack has fallen away, yet danger still lurks on the leaderboard. South Africa’s Jayden Schaper sits five strokes off the tournament lead, while Jon Rahm is six back.
McIlroy’s path remains narrow but clear. The Northern Irishman must finish in solo fourth or better just to keep his hopes alive. Even then, his fate depends entirely on where Chacarra finishes behind him.
Former European Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley noted that the pressure could swing back and forth over the closing 18 holes. While he still views Chacarra as the man in the driver’s seat, he warned against discounting a sudden charge from McIlroy or Rahm.
“I think Rory will reset and Chacarra is going to battle some way or another,” McGinley said. “At the moment, it does look like Chacarra is the favourite for the Race to Dubai. Rory has fallen a lot off the pace and it’s going to take a big reset now for him tomorrow to really go at it and shoot a low score.”
Hatton leads the DP World Tour Championship pack
While the season crown dominates the conversation, Tyrrell Hatton holds the actual tournament lead at nine under par. Hatton started the week 12th in the season standings and mathematically out of the Harry Vardon Trophy race, but he has his sights set on claiming a ninth DP World Tour title.
The Englishman posted a third-round effort that left him one stroke ahead of France’s Victor Perez. Hatton has finished runner-up at this venue twice before, and he leaned on sharp putting on lightning-fast back-nine greens to stay in front.
“It was tricky, the greens were so fast on the back nine,” Hatton said. “Every putt I had coming in I think from the 13th was just unbelievably fast. Really happy with how I putted today. I know tomorrow is going to be a tough day. I’ve got enough experience down these last few holes to know that anything can happen.”
Chacarra embraces Sunday heat in the Race to Dubai
Can the 24-year-old Spaniard handle the heat with McIlroy breathing down his neck? Chacarra insists he relishes the test after grinding through a heavy global schedule.
“It has been a grind and I’ve been fighting,” Chacarra said. “I want to really win that ranking, so I want to show the world I’m capable of playing under pressure. That’s what we prepare for and I’m going to have a chance on Sunday.”
The DP World Tour Championship concludes on Sunday, with the final round getting underway at Jumeirah Golf Estates from 6.30am.
Source: Sky Sports
