Rory McIlroy finished third at the Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship, positioning himself second in the Race to Dubai standings heading into the season finale.
Yas Links Finish
McIlroy opened his final round at Yas Links GC with a birdie and an eagle, holding a share of the lead with seven holes remaining. He finished in third spot, four strokes behind Jon Rahm, ending the week at 19 under par as reported by Sky Sports.
Jon Rahm won the tournament at 23 under par after shooting a 67, beating Tyrrell Hatton by two strokes according to Irishgolfdesk. The victory marked Rahm’s first on the DP World Tour since the 2023 Masters and his sixth Rolex Series win.
"It's driver all day. Never any doubt really!" Rory drives the 14th green, to no one's surprise among the commenters 😉#EmiratesFlyBetterMoments | @emirates pic.twitter.com/1NP3hEOZze
His coach Michael Bannon was on-site at Yas Links alongside him to work on swing thoughts and execution. McIlroy’s campaign this season has involved balancing an itinerary between the PGA Tour and his home circuit, playing 11 times in counting events on the DP World Tour including the four majors.
Chacarra entered the week having played 29 times on the circuit this season with three victories, most recently winning in India the month prior. McIlroy admitted he did ask questions of the European Tour about the safety and was reassured by the responses.
Rory’s drives around Yas Links, and they get progressively quicker 🚀 #AbuDhabiChamps | #RolexSeries pic.twitter.com/YMxh5xE0Os
Race to Dubai Standings
The result lifted McIlroy above Patrick Reed into second place in the Race to Dubai standings. He now trails leader Eugenio Chacarra by 533.93 points heading into the DP World Tour Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates, where 2,000 points are awarded to the winner as detailed by Irishgolfdesk. McIlroy is pursuing his eighth Order of Merit title, which would equal Colin Montgomerie’s record.
McIlroy noted that securing the Harry Vardon Trophy this season would be particularly demanding compared to prior years. His victory at the Masters in April remains his only victory this season.
Since that major victory, his results included a top-10 at the PGA Championship alongside finishes of 32nd and 40th in the other majors, followed by a 66th-place finish at the FedEx St Jude Championship, a third at the BMW Championship, and a fourth at the Tour Championship.
Jumeirah Golf Estates Finale
Chacarra finished tied for 22nd at 11 under par in Abu Dhabi after shooting a 69, according to Irishgolfdesk. Rahm’s victory moved the Spanish player up to sixth in the standings, giving him a mathematical chance at the season title alongside other players before the tournament begins on Thursday.
Rory McIlroy's 63 on Friday in Abu Dhabi ties his lowest score worldwide in 2026 (Rd 3 at East Lake). His 11 birdies are 1 shy of the DP World Tour modern era record for most in a single round.
It would have been great to win this week and give myself not as much of a deficit, or even a lead, but still feel like I’m right in there with a great chance,
McIlroy stated, as reported by Sky Sports.
Other competitors maintaining mathematical chances of capturing the number one spot at the Earth Course include Casey Jarvis, Aaron Rai, Jayden Schaper, Ryan Fox, and Daniel Hillier, though their championship hopes depend on winning the finale while the top contenders falter. McIlroy remains focused on his own performance at a venue where he holds extensive experience, emphasizing that winning next week eliminates any need to rely on outside outcomes.