McIlroy closes on Chacarra after Abu Dhabi third place

Jon Rahm won the Abu Dhabi Championship at Yas Links on 8 November 2026, while Rory McIlroy’s third-place finish moved him to second in the Race to Dubai standings behind Eugenio Chacarra. With the season finale next, McIlroy is just over 500 points behind the leader and still has a route to an eighth season-long title.

• Rahm finished at 23 under par, two shots clear of Tyrrell Hatton; McIlroy was two shots further back at 19 under.
• McIlroy moved ahead of Patrick Reed into second place, while Chacarra remains the standings leader.
• The DP World Tour Championship offers 2,000 points, 500 more than were available to the Abu Dhabi winner.

How Abu Dhabi changed the standings

BBC Sport reported that Rahm closed with a 67 to secure his first DP World Tour event victory in four years. Hatton finished second and McIlroy third. Chacarra tied for 22nd at 11 under, while Reed finished at four under. McIlroy had started the week third in the standings, behind Chacarra and Reed; his result took him past Reed. CBS Sports also placed Reed third after he had led the season-long race for much of the year.

McIlroy said he was pleased to have halved the gap and called the position a familiar one ahead of the finale. “That was the goal coming into these two weeks, to try to catch Eugenio and Patrick and try to win the Race to Dubai again,” he said. Chacarra called McIlroy the favourite, pointing to his world ranking and experience at the Earth Course, but added: “We know what I'm capable of when I am playing good.”

What it means for the Race to Dubai

The National reported that a McIlroy victory in Dubai would guarantee him the season title regardless of Chacarra’s result. A solo second would also secure it if Chacarra finished below him. Chacarra or Reed would take the title by winning the finale. CBS Sports reported that Rahm also remains in contention: he would need to win, McIlroy to finish worse than second and Chacarra to finish outside the top eight.

Rahm climbed from 51st to sixth in the standings with his Abu Dhabi win, CBS Sports reported. He said the result gave him “a little extra incentive” for Dubai, adding that he had not expected to have a chance at the season title. McIlroy’s first-round two-shot penalty was also part of his Abu Dhabi tournament, BBC Sport reported.