Rory McIlroy had a chance to make Sunday considerably easier. Instead, the golfer chasing a place alongside Colin Montgomerie in the record books left himself with a much more difficult assignment at the DP World Tour Championship.
An eighth Race to Dubai title remains within reach for McIlroy, who could match Montgomerie’s record for season-long titles on the European circuit. However, a promising Saturday in Dubai turned into an afternoon of missed opportunities.
McIlroy shot an even-par 72, leaving him tied for fourth at 5 under and four strokes behind tournament leader Tyrrell Hatton. More significantly for the season-long race, Eugenio Chacarra erased his overnight deficit to McIlroy and joined him on the leaderboard.
That leaves McIlroy trying to chase down one Ryder Cup teammate while keeping another challenger from denying him a historic finish to his season.
He had briefly put himself in a much better position.
An eagle at the par-5 seventh moved McIlroy into the outright lead. With the tournament and season-long championship both available, he had an opportunity to build an advantage heading toward the back nine.
Three holes later, that opportunity had disappeared.
Rory McIlroy Loses Ground During Costly Stretch
McIlroy followed his eagle with consecutive bogeys at Nos. 8, 9 and 10. Meanwhile, Hatton birdied the ninth and 10th, turning their battle at the top into a chase for his playing partner.
McIlroy eventually birdied the 14th but surrendered that shot at the next hole. A closing birdie brought him back to even par for the round; although, he missed an eagle putt that would have trimmed his deficit further.
The frustrating part for McIlroy is that Saturday offered proof that a lower score was available. Hatton shot 68, while Chacarra matched that number and Adam Scott posted a 67 to join McIlroy’s group.
Chacarra did his most important work late, making four birdies over his final six holes. His finish restored his projected position atop the Race to Dubai standings. It also ensured that McIlroy would enter Sunday without the cushion he had held after Friday.
For McIlroy, sharing fourth with the season-long leader presents a problem. Matching Chacarra’s score again would leave the Spaniard ahead in their pursuit of the Harry Vardon Trophy.
McIlroy needs to create separation when there are no more rounds left to recover.
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Winning the tournament would give McIlroy the season-long crown. A solo runner-up finish would also be enough if Chacarra does not win, according to the DP World Tour’s breakdown of Sunday’s stakes.
Neither route looks comfortable heading into Sunday. Hatton is at 9 under with Victor Perez one behind and Mikael Lindberg alone in third at 6 under.
McIlroy has won this tournament three times, giving him plenty of experience handling its final-round demands. However, Saturday’s eagle followed by three straight bogeys showed how quickly his position can change.
He remains close enough to make history Sunday. He also knows how much easier that pursuit could have been.
Rory McIlroy Has Historic Bid Take Crushing Hit in Dubai