DUBAI (The Thursday Times) — Tyrrell Hatton took a one-shot lead into the final round of the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai on Saturday, as Rory McIlroy’s level-par 72 left him four shots back in his bid for a record-equalling eighth Race to Dubai title.
Hatton, who shared the halfway lead with McIlroy, carded a four-under 68 on the Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates to reach nine under par. France’s Victor Perez shot 67 to sit one shot behind him, and Sweden’s Mikael Lindberg is third, three strokes back.
McIlroy is five under in a four-way tie for fourth with Spain’s Eugenio Chacarra, Australia’s Adam Scott, and Italy’s Francesco Laporta.
Eagles, bogeys, and water
Hatton, chasing a ninth DP World Tour title, holed a 10-foot eagle putt at the par-five second and made back-to-back birdies around the turn to open a three-shot lead. A bogey from the sand at the 15th let Perez draw level after a run of three birdies, but the Englishman birdied the 16th and saved par at the last after driving into the water.
McIlroy, who played alongside him, made six straight pars before an eagle at the par-five seventh briefly put him in front. He then dropped shots at the eighth, ninth, and 10th, and a birdie at the 14th was cancelled out by a bogey at the next. He missed a seven-foot eagle putt at the 18th and settled for a birdie.
Race to Dubai on the line
Chacarra, who leads the season-long standings, birdied four of his last six holes for a 68 and is still projected to finish as the Race to Dubai No. 1. McIlroy needs to finish fourth on his own or better on Sunday to have any chance of overtaking him. Victory would give McIlroy an eighth title, equalling Colin Montgomerie’s record.
“I just want to win the tournament. I’m not far away,” Chacarra said. “I know if I win the tournament, I win the ranking.”
Hatton said the greens had been “so fast on the back nine”. “I know tomorrow is going to be a tough day,” he said. “I’ve got enough experience down these last few holes to know that anything can happen.”
Perez is projected to earn one of the 10 PGA Tour cards on offer through the Race to Dubai rankings. The final round is on Sunday.
