McIlroy Climbs to Lead at DP World Tour Championship in Dubai
The final day of the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai has been nothing short of thrilling, with the leaderboard constantly shifting and fans glued to every shot. Rory McIlroy, chasing a fourth straight Race to Dubai title, has emerged as a central figure in this dramatic finale. After a tense afternoon, McIlroy finished with three birdies over his last five holes, carding a 4-under 68 that put him in a share of the lead with Denmark’s Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen at 13-under 203.
It has been a whirlwind of a day at the Jumeirah Golf Estates. At one point, the lead was shared by as many as eight players, making it a true battle among Europe’s Ryder Cup stars. Nicolai Højgaard had started the third round at the top of the leaderboard, and by afternoon, his twin brother Rasmus had also climbed into the leading pack. Other notable players keeping pace included Tyrrell Hatton, Tommy Fleetwood, Matt Fitzpatrick, Laurie Canter, Justin Rose, and Ludvig Åberg.
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Hatton remains the only player with a mathematical chance to catch McIlroy in the Race to Dubai, although it would require a dramatic collapse by the Northern Irishman. McIlroy, the defending champion at the Earth Course with three prior titles, has been playing with steady precision. “It would be an amazing way to end the season,” McIlroy reflected. “I played well when I needed to last week, especially at the weekend. I put myself in position to try to get another win here, so yeah, really pleased.”
Neergaard-Petersen has also made an impression, keeping a clean scorecard after an early bogey and earning a place in the final group with McIlroy for the first time in his career. A strong finish could help the Dane secure one of the top 10 spots that grant European players a PGA TOUR card for 2026. “I’ve had a big goal this year to see if I could win out here, and obviously if I were to do it tomorrow and get it over the line, that would be incredible,” Neergaard-Petersen said.
The chasing pack remains fierce. Rasmus Højgaard, Fitzpatrick, Fleetwood, Canter, and Angel Ayora are all within striking distance, making the final round wide open and full of suspense. McIlroy is going for a seventh title as Europe’s No. 1, just one short of Colin Montgomerie’s record.
It’s already been a landmark year for McIlroy, who completed the career Grand Slam at Augusta, won THE PLAYERS Championship, AT&T Pebble Beach, the Irish Open, and led Europe to Ryder Cup victory. Yet the Race to Dubai remains a key goal. “I certainly could have coasted into these couple of weeks and enjoyed myself,” he admitted. “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. I’ve put myself in a great position to go and do that tomorrow.”
With so many top players bunched at the top of the leaderboard, the final round promises edge-of-your-seat action as McIlroy looks to cement another historic season and add yet another title to his stellar career.
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