In an extraordinary Saturday of golf, Ángel Ayora has given himself an excellent opportunity to both fight for victory in the DP World Tour Championship, the final event of the European circuit that only two Spaniards have been able to win to date (Álvaro Quirós once and Jon Rahm three times), and to aim for one of the ten cards for the PGA Tour that are up for grabs through the final classification of the Race to Dubai.
The third place tied with five other players that he currently holds would allow the Malaga native to advance to 18th place in the overall circuit standings. But if we consider that ahead would be Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood, Robert MacIntyre, Aaron Rai, and Matt Fitzpatrick, who already have a spot on the US tour for 2026, in addition to Tyrrell Hatton, a LIV Golf player who doesn’t count for this fight, Ayora is one step away from achieving the almost impossible.
Tomorrow, he will have 18 holes ahead to try it, sharing the round for the second consecutive day, precisely, with the English golfer. A Hatton who this Saturday, at the Earth Course of Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai, was able to enjoy up close the talent of the Malaga native. To the point that he did not hesitate to surrender to his game with a phrase that perfectly sums up the level that Ángel is offering in his rookie season on the circuit. “Fun to watch him play,” he confessed to Juan Ochoa, the Spanish player’s coach and caddie.
Enjoying Ayora‘s golf is practically a must thanks to his impressive performance from the tee, with a monumental shot full of power and precision, his aggressiveness with the irons, always trying to attack flags, and his ability to read the treacherous slopes of greens that, as happened to him on several occasions on this ‘moving day’, force taking simply impossible paths. A cocktail that does not go unnoticed even for a five-time winner of Rolex Series tournaments.
The more than four hours together on the course have allowed Tyrrell and Ángel to get to know each other a little better and talk about many topics. A good way to ease the tension of a tournament in which the Englishman is vying for the Race to Dubai and the Spaniard is aiming to make a splash by jumping to the US tour. And among those chats, some issues about LIV have come to light, where Hatton shares a team with Jon Rahm in the Legion XIII, the intense travel schedule of both, the fines for playing DP tournaments, which the Saudi tour will stop covering in 2026, and even the upcoming schedule for both.
The temperament of the three-time Ryder Cup champion with Europe when he misses a shot contrasts with the exquisite politeness with which he has treated the Spaniard throughout this exciting Saturday of golf. He was able to enjoy live and direct shots from Ayora, like the 9-wood on hole 4, and also what happened on the 18th, where what seemed like a textbook drive turned into a ‘nightmare’, forcing a drop with a penalty because there was no way out of the predicament even playing left-handed.
A final flag, where a fortunate bounce on the rocks ended up compensating for what happened from the tee, that did not overshadow the great performance of the Malaga native. Tyrrell, fully getting into the fight for the Race, and he, already dreaming of the PGA Tour, fed off each other. Something they will try to repeat this Sunday to achieve their respective goals… before fate brings them together again. Perhaps before a Scottish Open that the Englishman aims to play next season.
