Rory McIlroy Opens With 69 As Jon Rahm Cards 71 In DP World Tour Finale

Rory McIlroy Opens With 69, Jon Rahm Shoots 71 In Dubai© Instagram

Rory McIlroy left an eagle putt short at the last, but a closing birdie still made Thursday a useful opening day in Dubai. His three-under 69 put him two shots behind leader Joost Luiten and three ahead of Eugenio Chacarra, the player he is chasing in the Race to Dubai.

Jon Rahm opened with a one-under 71 at Jumeirah Golf Estates. Coming off victory in Abu Dhabi, the Spaniard remained within four of the lead as breezy conditions and thick rough kept much of the field from going low.

McIlroy Gains Ground On Chacarra

McIlroy made five birdies and two bogeys on the Earth Course to join a five-way tie for third. The finish offered encouragement after a round that included some untidy work on the greens.

He three-putted for par at the second and dropped a shot with another three-putt at the fifth. A birdie at the seventh helped, although a bogey on the par-five 14th interrupted his progress coming home.

At the 18th, McIlroy hit his second shot close enough to give himself an eagle chance. He settled for birdie while playing partner Chacarra made par to complete a level-par 72.

“Anything in the 60s today I felt was a good score,” McIlroy said. McIlroy entered the week 534 points behind Chacarra. Winning the tournament would guarantee him an eighth Race to Dubai crown, matching Colin Montgomerie's record, and his fifth in succession. Patrick Reed, third in the season standings, had a harder start. His opening 75 left him six shots behind McIlroy.

Rahm Trails As Luiten Sets The Pace

Rahm arrived with momentum after winning the Abu Dhabi Championship, where McIlroy finished third. His opening 71 in Dubai kept him under par, but Luiten supplied the round everyone else had to chase. The Dutchman went out in 31 and recovered from consecutive bogeys at the 11th and 12th with birdies at the 13th and 18th. His five-under 67 earned a one-shot lead over Olesen.

McIlroy shared third with Victor Perez, Gregorio De Leo, Freddy Schott and Francesco Laporta. Only 22 players in the 50-man field broke par.

There is another competition running beneath the tournament leaderboard: the leading 10 eligible players in the final Race to Dubai standings earn PGA Tour membership for 2027. Luiten began the week outside those qualifying places. His first round gave him a chance to change that.