DUBAI – Rory McIlroy emerges from an emotional Saturday at the DP World Tour Championship with three birdies in his last five holes, achieving a 68 under par. This gives him the lead, tied with Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen of Denmark, in his quest for a fourth consecutive Race to Dubai title. The day at Jumeirah Golf Estates was marked by a tie among eight players at the top. Nicolai Højgaard, who started the third round in the lead, and his twin brother Rasmus joined the group of leaders during the afternoon. After the third round, McIlroy and Neergaard-Peterson, both with a 68, were at 13 under par (203), one stroke ahead of Tyrrell Hatton and five other players. Hatton is the only one with mathematical possibilities of surpassing McIlroy in the Race to Dubai, although he would need a stumble from the Masters champion on the Earth course, where McIlroy is the defending champion and already has three victories.
McIlroy arrives at this tournament after a tie for third place in Abu Dhabi last week, which strengthened his position at the top. Marco Penge of England, number 2 in the Race to Dubai, had a less favorable start with a 74. Although he achieved a 68 on Saturday, he remains nine strokes behind. Hatton, with his 67, becomes the main pursuer. Hatton would need to win and McIlroy to finish outside the top eight, although, given the close competition, it’s not far-fetched.It would be an incredible way to end the season.
McIlroy
Neergaard-Petersen also has a lot at stake. With a 68, he secured a place in the final group and will play with McIlroy for the first time. A good result could secure the Dane a place in the top 10, which would allow him to obtain a PGA Tour card for 2026.Today’s round has given me an opportunity.
Hatton
The group chasing a coup includes Rasmus Højgaard (65), Matt Fitzpatrick (66), Tommy Fleetwood (68), Laurie Canter (68) and Ángel Ayora from Spain, who finished with a bogey and a 67. Nicolai Højgaard, with a 73, is two strokes away, as is Justin Rose (70) and Ludvig Åberg (67). This bodes for an exciting end to the European tour season. McIlroy seeks his seventh title as Europe’s number 1, one short of Colin Montgomerie’s record. This has already been an exceptional year for McIlroy, who completed the Grand Slam at Augusta National, won The Players Championship and Pebble Beach, took the Irish Open and led Europe to victory in the Ryder Cup.My big goal this year is to see if I can win here, and obviously, if I achieve it tomorrow, it would be incredible.
Neergaard-Petersen
I could have enjoyed these weeks, but the Race to Dubai is important to me, and I want to get a little closer to Monty. I’ve put myself in a great position to do it tomorrow.
McIlroy
