Today's Edition
KUUMAR SHYAM (ABU DHABI)
Fresh from his dream run in Abu Dhabi, Jon Rahm is heading to the finale of the DP World Tour Championship with renewed hopes of winning the Race to Dubai, the Order of Merit title, on Sunday at the Jumeirah Golf Estates.
His recent victory at the Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship has set him up as the main challenger to Rory McIlroy, who is also chasing a place in the history books.
Rahm was 51st in the Race to Dubai Rankings before last week's tournament at Yas Links. However, his victory in Abu Dhabi, which delivered his 11th DP World Tour title and sixth Rolex Series crown, lifted him to sixth in the standings and has made him the favourite to claim the top spot among European golfers for a second time.
The Spaniard has an opportunity to complete a Rolex Series double, having won the DP World Tour Championship three times. His record at the Earth Course offers further encouragement, with three victories and two top-five finishes in five appearances.
McIlroy, meanwhile, is bidding to win his eighth Race to Dubai title and equal Colin Montgomerie's record as the most successful player in the history of the DP World Tour.
Eight players have a mathematical chance of denying the Northern Irishman the title, with New Zealand's Daniel Hillier, ranked ninth, among those who can still claim the season-long crown if he wins the $10 million tournament. The outcome will also depend on the performance of current rankings leader Eugenio Chacarra.
"I'm coming in with a little extra incentive," Rahm said. "I really didn't think I was going to have a chance to possibly win the Race to Dubai at all. So, that obviously gives this week a little bit more meaning than it did before.
"It would mean a great deal. I think it would just be more of a step towards hopefully getting closer to what Seve was able to achieve."
Rahm was referring to fellow Spaniard Seve Ballesteros, who won the European Tour's Order of Merit six times. A second Race to Dubai crown would move Rahm closer to that achievement, although he acknowledged the challenge of matching the records held by Montgomerie and McIlroy.
"It would be special, to not knowing I had a chance, come in the last two weeks and get it done," he said.
The Earth Course, designed by Greg Norman, presents a different test for the field, with its 7,706-yard layout placing a premium on accuracy and effective play on the par-fives. While the length is considerable, the course can be scoring-friendly for players capable of reaching the greens in regulation and taking advantage of the longer holes.
Wind is traditionally the course's main defence, although conditions in Dubai at this time of the year are generally calm. The 245-yard fourth hole is the toughest par-three, while the island green at the 17th demands precision from the tee.
The closing stretch also has its challenges, including a stream running through the 18th green and a bunker positioned in the middle of the 16th fairway.
Race to Dubai’s Hall of Fame (Order of Merit)
8 titles – Colin Montgomerie (1993-1999, 2005)
7 – Rory McIlroy (2012, 2014, 2015, 2022-25)
5 – Seve Ballesteros (1976-78, 1988, 1991)
3 – Lee Westwood (2000, 2009, 2020)
Sandy Lyle (1979, 80, 1985)
Peter Oosterhuis (1972-1974)
