Returning as the winner of the DP World India Championship, Eugenio Chacarra admitted on Friday that playing “good after a win” isn’t easy. And his performance on Thursday at the Genesis Championship reflected that struggle, as he finished 53rd with a 1-over-par 72, carding two bogeys, a crushing double bogey, and three birdies. But what went wrong?
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The Spaniard blamed feeling “drained… [and] media [duties],” admitting he hadn’t had the “best preparation to the tournament.” So, on Thursday afternoon, he sat down with his team to devise a new plan. And it was “flawless,” as Chacarra bounced back with a 5-under-par 66 on Friday, carding six birdies and one bogey. Now, the Spaniard has issued a warning!
“Every time I tee off, I think I want to win,” he said after Friday’s round. “I need a good Saturday tomorrow, and I know if I have a good Saturday tomorrow, people don’t really like seeing my name up there, so I’m going to go try to [shoot] as low as possible tomorrow. It’s going to be an attack day. [It might or might not go my way], but hopefully [it will] go my way. I can shoot another five, six under and put some pressure on the leaders.”
By leaders, he means the two men trailing him closely on the Race to Dubai rankings: Patrick Reed and Rory McIlroy. At the time of writing, Chacarra leads the standings with 4,092.89 points, followed by Reed (3,474.62 points) and McIlroy (3,144.86 points). The Northern Irishman, who has had a significantly reduced schedule this year, won the last four consecutive Race to Dubai titles among his seven total wins.
The six-time major winner can equal Colin Montgomerie’s record haul of eight career Race to Dubai titles if he wins again this year. However, the Spaniard’s confident warning has put McIlroy on notice. The Northern Irishman has three events, including this week’s Genesis Championship, to overtake the Spaniard and claim the title for the fifth consecutive year. But McIlroy has already put himself at a significant disadvantage in the race.
McIlroy is absent from the Genesis Championship field, meaning he won’t be competing for any Race to Dubai points this week. Chacarra, meanwhile, sits T14 after the second round. And considering the confidence he has shown, there’s every chance he could climb further up the leaderboard over the next couple of days and collect even more points. As things stand, McIlroy needs nearly 1,000 points to close the gap.
Of course, McIlroy could make up the deficit by winning one of the remaining two tournaments. However, the Spaniard will also be competing in both, making the task considerably more difficult for the Northern Irishman. But interestingly, the six-time major winner isn’t the player Eugenio Chacarra should be most worried about.
Besides Rory McIlroy, Eugenio Chacarra needs to watch out for Patrick Reed
The 2018 Masters champion currently sits second in the Race to Dubai standings, hoping to become only the second American golfer in history to claim the prestigious title. Having already secured two DP World Tour victories this season, Reed will be hoping his time away from the PGA Tour culminates in yet another significant achievement.
However, Reed is also absent from the field this week, giving the Spaniard an opportunity to extend his advantage after snatching the top spot from the American at the DP World India Championship. Nevertheless, Reed remains firmly in contention, needing just under 620 points to overtake Chacarra and reclaim the lead.
With two more events remaining after this week, the American still has a realistic chance of turning the tables. And the Spaniard is well aware of the threat he faces.
“I’m playing this week, and Patrick and Rory are not, so hopefully I can have a good week and get a little more points,” he said before teeing off on Thursday. “I need all the help I can [get], they’re the best in the world. We know how good Rory is in Dubai, and Patrick is too, so all the help I can get going into those weeks, the better for me.”
That said, whether Eugenio Chacarra can capitalize on his advantage and hold off established heavyweights like Rory McIlroy and Patrick Reed to claim his maiden Race to Dubai title remains to be seen.