Rory McIlroy will spend the first round of the DP World Tour Championship playing alongside the man he needs to catch in the standings. Eugenio Chacarra leads the Race to Dubai by 533.93 points, and the two golfers share Thursday’s final tee time at 12:40 p.m. local time on the Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates, as reported by sports..yahoo.com.
Tee Times and Standings
The tour dispatches the field in reverse standings order, meaning McIlroy earned his spot in Chacarra’s group by finishing third in Abu Dhabi and moving past Patrick Reed into second place. Chacarra enters as the tour’s only three-time winner this season. With 2,000 points awarded for a victory in Dubai, either player in the final group can secure the Harry Vardon Trophy by winning the tournament. For McIlroy, a victory would deliver his eighth season title, tying Colin Montgomerie’s record.
The final three groups on Thursday begin with Jon Rahm and Aaron Rai at 12:20 p.m., followed by Patrick Reed and Casey Jarvis at 12:30 p.m., and Chacarra alongside McIlroy at 12:40 p.m.
Title Scenarios for the Top Contenders
Patrick Reed begins the day ten minutes ahead in the group with Casey Jarvis. Reed sits third in the standings and can still capture the season title without winning the tournament itself. Meanwhile, six contenders positioned below him require a tournament victory and outside help, a group that includes Jon Rahm, who triumphed last week in Abu Dhabi and boasts three prior victories on the Earth Course.
For McIlroy, the key figure is fourth place. He has recorded top-four finishes at the venue eight times, and fourth is the lowest position he can finish while still claiming the season title. A solo second-place finish would also secure the title for McIlroy if both Chacarra and Reed finish third or worse. Under specific tour scenarios, Chacarra can even finish last and still lift the trophy.
