It won’t be easy for Rory McIlroy (-13) to let the victory slip away in the Race to Dubai. It’s not that the Northern Irishman had his best day this Saturday at the Earth Course of Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai, struggling on the front nine and reacting like a champion in the final stretch, but with Marco Penge (-4) practically out of contention since the first round, only Tyrrell Hatton (-12) is in a position to snatch what would be his seventh Order of Merit on the DP World Tour.
For the current Masters of Augusta winner to lose the title, the Englishman must win the tournament and the current overall leader must finish eighth tied with two more players or worse. The first part of the equation is still feasible, after Tyrrell delivered another 67 strokes this Saturday, the same result as yesterday, pushing hard to get fully into the battle for victory. The second, once this interesting ‘moving day’ is completed, seems much more complicated…
Every shot of Rory McIlroy's birdie at the final hole to co-lead 🤩#DPWTC | #RolexSeries pic.twitter.com/cpUe4t4MTf
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) November 15, 2025
Rory wasn’t particularly precise with the irons, wasting the opportunities he constantly generated with his power from the tee. But he also couldn’t show his best version on the greens, erratic and without the always necessary luck. Even so, when the need pressed on the back nine, he gave it his all, even risking his wrists on the 10th, recovering from the pine straw with a root in front of his ball. In the end, with two very good birdies on the 14th and 15th, and another on the 18th, where he played it safe after missing the fairway, he managed to set things right, delivering 68 strokes and staying firm in pursuit of his goal.
It’s not going to be easy for Hatton to win the tournament either. He will play the final 18 holes just one stroke behind both the Northern Irishman, who besides the big prize is also seeking his fifth Rolex Series, and the Dane Neergaard-Pettersen (-13), who held his ground. But the fight to win this final is crowded, with sixteen players within a margin of just three strokes. Sharing third place with the Englishman are his compatriots Laurie Canter (-12), Tommy Fleetwood (-12), and Matt Fitzpatrick (-12), the Dane Rasmus Hojgaard (-12), who took over from his brother… and the Spaniard Ángel Ayora (-12).
Eagle for Ayora to tie the lead 👊
The Spaniard began the week 23rd on the Race to Dubai but is now projected to move to 5th and claim dual membership on the @PGATOUR. #DPWTC | #RolexSeries pic.twitter.com/mMAV6QHlmF
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) November 15, 2025
Because what the man from Málaga did this Saturday was, once again, quite a show. He closed his first nine with three birdies, without error, and started the second half of his round with another birdie. He was so on fire that on the 11th he tried to take advantage of his enormous power to ‘catch’ the green from the tee and ended up making his first mistake of the day. But on the par five of the 14th, he played by the book to score an eagle that placed him as the sole leader of the standings. That started a stretch of four really good holes… but it was almost extraordinary…
On the 15th, his ball needed half a turn to make the birdie. On the 16th, he succeeded, sinking a putt of just over two metres. And on the very tricky par three of the 17th, with the island green, he nearly made a two that would have shot him up the leaderboard. Unfortunately, he lost the lead on the final hole, being forced to drop with a penalty after missing the fairway to the right. The bad luck with the putter on the 15th and 17th was compensated by a very fortunate bounce on the stones when his ball seemed to be heading straight for the creek. So his final bogey left a good taste and the door open to fulfilling his big dream.
In his rookie season on the tour, Ayora will be in a position tomorrow not only to become the third Spanish player to win the DP World Tour final (Álvaro Quirós won it in 2011 and Jon Rahm three times, in 2017, 2019, and 2022) but, above all, to get into the top 10 players of the Race to Dubai who secure a card for the PGA Tour in 2026. A huge challenge that involves maintaining the sensational level of play he has been showing all week, with a solidity, an ability to attack flags, and a calmness in decisive moments uncharacteristic of a lad of just 21 years.
For the other three Spaniards present in this final in Dubai, Saturday was one to forget. Nacho Elvira (+6) played the first match of the day, something he will repeat tomorrow after delivering a card of 75 strokes. Jorge Campillo (-1) lost positions with a round of 73 strokes, falling to 44th place. A position he shares, among others, with Eugenio López-Chacarra (-1), who ruined his fight to beat the course with a tough triple bogey on the par five of the 18th, sending his ball into the water twice in a row.
