Eugenio Chacarra leads Rory McIlroy by 533.93 points heading into the DP World Tour Championship final at Jumeirah Golf Estates, with 2,000 points available to the winner. The Spaniard holds the Race to Dubai advantage after a strong season, including a recent victory over McIlroy at the DP World India Championship in October.
McIlroy, fresh from a third-place finish at the Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship, is chasing a fifth consecutive Race to Dubai title. Such a win would tie him with Colin Montgomerie’s record of eight Race to Dubai crowns overall. Despite the points gap, McIlroy remains a clear contender for the season finale’s top prize.
Other players like Patrick Reed, USPGA champion Aaron Rai, Jon Rahm, and Open winner Ryan Fox still have a mathematical chance to claim the Race to Dubai title if both Chacarra and McIlroy slip up. However, the focus is on the showdown between Chacarra and McIlroy, who will tee off together in the final pairing on Thursday.
Chacarra spoke openly about the challenge ahead at a press conference on Wednesday. “Obviously we know how good Rory McIlroy is and he is one of my idols. It is going to be a tough test and that is what I dreamed of since I was little,” he said.
He recalled his recent win over McIlroy in India as a confidence boost. “But I already beat him in India, so I need to remind myself that I can compete with him and I can beat him like I did already a couple weeks ago.”
Chacarra admitted he has limited experience on this course compared to McIlroy, who has enjoyed considerable success at Jumeirah Golf Estates. “This is a course that he has had a lot of success on and I only played once and didn’t do very good, but they are just numbers. This is golf and crazy things happen.”
He added that his focus will be on enjoying the tournament and bringing his best game. “I am just going to enjoy myself, and if I bring my A-game, I am going to be able to compete with him on Sunday.”
McIlroy’s pursuit of a fifth straight Race to Dubai title has dominated the DP World Tour in recent years, but Chacarra’s rise this season has put a significant obstacle in his path. The pressure will be intense for both players as they battle for the season’s highest honour with everything to play for in the final event.
The DP World Tour Championship will run through Sunday at Jumeirah Golf Estates with the Race to Dubai title still up for grabs.
According to Yahoo Sports.