Rory McIlroy on verge of 'getting a little bit closer' to Scottish golfing great

Helped by three birdies in the last five holes, the world No 2 shares the lead with Dane Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen on 13 under par heading into the closing circuit of the 2025 DP World Tour season.

As he did 12 months ago, McIlroy is aiming to secure the Race to Dubai title in style. This would be a fourth in a row and seventh in total. Colin Montgomerie’s record of eight coveted crowns is definitely under threat.

By sheer coincidence, Montgomerie is in the UAE this week and no doubt enjoyed hearing McIlroy talk in the build up to the season finale how impressive the Scot’s feat of winning seven titles in a row had been at a time when he was up against the likes of Seve Ballesteros, Nick Faldo, Bernhard Langer, Sandy Lyle and Ian Woosnam.

With McIlroy on the verge of moving within touching distance of his tally, though, and feeling more passionate about playing in DP World Tour events that he perhaps did seven or eight years ago, the big Scot will know that there’s now a good chance that he is going to be surpassed.

“It would be an amazing way to end the season,” admitted the Northern Irishman after carding a four-under-par 68 in the penultimate circuit of the fifth and final Rolex Series event of the calendar campaign. “I knew coming out here for these two weeks, Abu Dhabi last week and this week, I needed to play well. Marco [Penge] wasn't that far behind. Obviously Tyrrell [Hatton] wasn't that far behind.

“I played well when I needed to last week, especially at the weekend (when he closed with a DP World Tour career-best 62 to finish third in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship). Now I’ve put myself in position to try to get another win here.

‘I've put myself in a great position’

“So, yeah, really pleased. I certainly could have coasted into these couple of weeks and enjoyed myself, but The Race to Dubai is important to me, and it's important to me to try to get a little bit closer to Monty. I've put myself in a great position to go and do that tomorrow.”

With Penge effectively out of the race - the Englishman has improved each day since his opening 74 but joint-36th in the 52-man field - it’s only Hatton who can be a final-round party pooper. Needing a win and McIlroy finishing worse than a tie for eighth, he sits just one off the lead in a seven-way tie for third.

With that group also including in-form world No 4 Tommy Fleetwood and two-time DP World Tour Championship winner Matthew Fitzpatrick, it’s by no means a certainty but, at the same time, it is looking good for McIlroy in his bid to not only pick up the Harry Vardon Trophy again but the equally impressive sparking scepter up for grabs in this event.

“No,” he replied to being asked if he’d be keeping one eye on Ryder Cup team-mate in the closing 18 holes. “I'm in a better position than him. I'm focused on myself. If I go out and play the golf that I know I'm capable of, especially around this golf course, I know that it will be okay.”

A posse of players shared the lead at one point in the afternoon before McIlroy burst out of the pack on the back of birdies at the 14th, 15th and 18th to set the clubhouse target before being joined in the lead by Neergaard-Petersen after he also signed for a 68 in the final match alongside compatriot Nicolai Hojgaard, who was three ahead at the halfway stage but is now two behind after a 73.

Neergaard-Petersen also finished last season as a No 1 after topping the HotelPlanner Tour Rankings. He’s among eight out of the 20 graduates from the second-tier circuit to make it to the final event on the top tour, with Spaniard Angel Ayore, who is in the group on 12 under, another of them.

“I'm so excited,” admitted Neergaard-Petersen of playing in the final group with McIlroy on Sunday. “I can't wait for tomorrow. I haven't played with him yet as a professional or ever, and to do it here in the final group is going to be pretty special.”

Fitzpatrick’s 66 included an eagle 2 at the fifth, where he holed out from 133 yards. “Played as solid a round as I have all week and it helps when you have a hole out,” said the Sheffield man, who is bidding to emulate title triumphs in this desert event in 2016 and 2020 with a smile.

Ayora, who has the iconic logo of Seve Ballesteros punching the air in delight after winning The Open at St Andrews in 1984 on his shirt and is managed by Seve’s son Javier, was on course to be in the final group until he signed off with a bogey-6. “Very happy with my game,” said the 21-year-old, who, with his mop hair, reminds you of a young McIlroy. “Unlucky on 18, but it is just golf.”

After a day when nothing really happened for him, world No 7 Bob MacIntyre birdied the 16th and 18th to sit in a tie for 12th on ten under and a repeat of his closing 65 at Yas Links last Sunday could yet see him create history as the first Scot to win this tournament.

After making three birdies in four holes to jump up the leaderboard, a sore triple-bogey 7 at the 16th took the wind out of Grant Forrest’s sails. He sits on five under, one ahead of third-round playing partner Ewen Ferguson while Connor Syme and Calum Hill are both on three under.