Rory McIlroy wins golf’s Race to Dubai title for record-equalling eighth time

Rory McIlroy edged out Eugenio Chacarra to claim a record-equalling eighth Race to Dubai title with a second-place finish at the DP World Tour Championship, where Tyrrell Hatton sealed a five-shot victory.

Spaniard Chacarra had held a slender 533.93-point lead over Masters champion McIlroy going into the season finale at Jumeirah Golf Estates.

McIlroy, though, overturned that deficit after a blemish-free fourth round of 67 helped him to finish on 10 under par, on his own in second, to take a fifth successive Race to Dubai crown, matching Colin Montgomerie’s record of eight Order of Merit titles.

Chacarra had needed to win the tournament to make sure he fended off McIlroy, as well as potentially several other big hitters in the chasing pack.

However, a final round of 69, which featured six birdies but also three bogeys either side of the turn, saw him come up just short at eight under in a tie for third, with other scores in the final groups also going McIlroy’s way.

Englishman Hatton secured his first DP World Tour Championship title at 15 under, pulling clear following his closing round of 66, which saw him take third place in the overall Race to Dubai standings.