Rory McIlroy is on the brink of winning his seventh Race to Dubai title after surging into a share of the lead at the season-ending DP World Tour Championship.
The Northern Irishman shot a four-under-par 68 on the Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates to sit alongside Denmark’s Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen, and ought really to have been out in front on his own were it not for an inexplicably missed three-foot putt at the 2nd.
McIlroy remains the firm favourite — Neergaard-Petersen, the world No95, played predominantly on the second-tier Challenge Tour last season — but a star-studded chasing pack of Europe’s Ryder Cup stars should make for a thrilling final day befitting the £7.6million showpiece.
Tyrrell Hatton, Tommy Fleetwood, Matt Fitzpatrick and Rasmus Hojgaard are among those just one shot off the lead, as is the former LIV golfer Laurie Canter. Justin Rose, Ludvig Aberg and Nicolai Hojgaard are only one further adrift, while Shane Lowry and Robert MacIntyre are also within touching distance.
Marco Penge had come into the event as McIlroy’s closest challenger in the Race to Dubai rankings, but the Englishman is some nine shots back, meaning only Hatton can prevent the world No2 from moving to within one of Colin Montgomerie’s all-time record of eight order of merit titles. For that to happen, Hatton must win and hope that McIlroy stumbles into at least a share of eighth place.
“It would be an amazing way to end the season,” McIlroy said. “I knew coming out here for these two weeks that I needed to play well. Marco wasn’t that far behind and obviously Tyrrell wasn’t that far behind either. I played well when I needed to last week and I put myself in position to try to get another win here, so I am really pleased.
“I certainly could have coasted into these couple of weeks and enjoyed myself but the Race to Dubai is important to me, and it’s important to me to try to get a little bit closer to Monty. As I said, I’ve put myself in a great position to go and do that tomorrow.”
McIlroy was pleased to have put himself in a “great position” to claim the title
ALTAF QADRI/AP
McIlroy lacked momentum on the front nine after that errant putt at the 2nd spurned the chance to start with back-to-back birdies and he made the turn in 35, one under par for his round. But an enormous 380-yard drive made light work of the par-five 14th and the driveable 15th showed no teeth either before McIlroy birdied the closing hole to ensure he would be in the final group.
The Race to Dubai title would cap what McIlroy has already described as the greatest year of his golfing life after he completed the career grand slam at the Masters in April before spearheading Europe’s Ryder Cup victory on away soil in New York. He also enjoyed victories at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am, the Players Championship and the Irish Open.
As for the chances of Hatton snatching that cherry on top, McIlroy said: “I’m in a better position than him. I’m focused on myself. If I go out and play the golf that I know I’m capable of, especially around this golf course, I know that it will be okay.”
DP World Tour Championship
Final round, Sunday from 7am
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