Race to Dubai: Can Eugenio Chacarra hold off Patrick Reed and Rory McIlroy in DP World Tour play-offs to take No 1 spot?

03.11.2026, 19:37 skysports.com

Eugenio Chacarra says he’s playing the "best golf of his career" as he looks to hold off Patrick Reed and Rory McIlroy and win the DP World Tour’s Race to Dubai title.

The DP World Tour campaign reaches its climax over the next fortnight in the Middle East, live on Sky Sports, with the Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship beginning on Thursday ahead of next week's DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.

Seve Ballesteros and Jon Rahm are the only previous Spaniards to end the season as European No 1 and lift the Harry Vardon Trophy, with Chacarra in a strong position to join that major-winning duo after an impressive season.

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Chacarra won the KLM Open and the DS Automobiles 83° Open d'Italia in June before adding a third victory of the year at last month's DP World India Championship, pulling him clear of Reed and McIlroy at the top of the standings.

"To be leading the Race to Dubai with two events to go is a dream," said Chacarra, who has four additional top-three finishes on the DP World Tour this season - including a second on home soil at the Open de Espana.

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"To have the chance to win the Harry Vardon Trophy would be very special. I know the players behind me will push hard in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, but I'm playing the best golf of my career and I can't wait to get there."

On the challenge of staying No 1, Chacarra added: "They [Reed and McIlroy] are two of the best players in the world and we know what's Rory's record in Dubai. I need to play as good as possible the next couple of weeks.

"Hopefully I can keep playing good, keep doing good, and I can put my name with Jon's [Rahm] and Seve's [Ballesteros], that would be a dream come true."

The winner in Abu Dhabi claims 1,500 Race to Dubai points and the champion the following week earns 2,000, with Chacarra taking a 669.27-point lead over Reed and 999.03-point advantage over McIlroy heading into the DP World Tour Play-Offs.

Players are awarded a share of the points based on their finishing position, with Reed needing a share of second or better in Abu Dhabi to have any chance of reclaiming top spot from Chacarra before the DP World Tour Championship.

McIlroy remains in the hunt to claim a record-equalling eighth Race to Dubai title and fourth in as many years, but The Masters champion will need a big finish to the season to finish No 1 and match Colin Montgomerie's record of Order of Merit titles.

"Eugenio [Chacarra] is playing well - that makes my job a bit harder going into the last two events," McIlroy admitted after a tied-42nd finish in India last month.

South Africa's Casey Jarvis sits fourth in the standings and is 1,287.81 points behind Chacarra, while PGA champion Aaron Rai - the defending champion in Abu Dhabi - rounds off the top five.

Only the top 70 available golfers in the Race to Dubai standings can feature in the Abu Dhabi, before dropping to the top 50 the following week, although multiple eligible players have elected against tee it up in the opening play-off.

Several of those not involved have previously expressly safety concerns about playing in the Middle East, given fears of a wider regional conflict, with Matt Fitzpatrick, Bob MacIntyre and Shane Lowry among those sitting out in Abu Dhabi.

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On the possibility of disruption, a DP World Tour spokesperson told Sky Sports last week: "The Foreign Office has not issued advice against travel to the UAE so our situation remains the same.

"We intend staging our play-off events as scheduled in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, but we remain in contact with our international advisors."

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All of the top five in the Race to Dubai standings will feature in Abu Dhabi, along with past champions Tommy Fleetwood and Tyrrell Hatton, while former world No 1s Rahm and Adam Scott are also still listed in the field.

Open champion Ryan Fox - sixth in the standings - is the highest-ranked player not playing in Abu Dhabi, although the New Zealander is currently still scheduled to feature at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.

Chacarra and Reed have already secured their PGA Tour cards for next season via the Race to Dubai rankings, awarded to the leading 10 players not already exempt in the standings.

Jarvis, Daniel Hillier, Jayden Schaper and Jacob Skov Olesen are among those currently inside those projected spots, with English duo Andy Sullivan and Joe Dean also challenging for PGA Tour cards.

The next two events also decides the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year Award, awarded to the highest-ranked player in their maiden DP World Tour season, with Japan's Kota Kaneko currently leading South Africa's Michael Hollick in that race.

Sky Sports will show live coverage from all four rounds at Yas Links GC, with the action live from 7am on Sky Sports Golf on each of the first three days and then getting under way at 6.30am on Sunday.

Who will win the Race to Dubai? Watch the Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship and the DP World Tour Championship live on Sky Sports. Get the latest Sky Sports deals or stream with no contract.