Most title contenders spend the final day chasing their own number. Eugenio Chacarra spent his hopes on a fellow Spaniard, Jon Rahm, to play spoiler. He got exactly the result he wanted at Yas Links, but how he got there says plenty about how fragile his Race to Dubai lead really is.
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After finishing his round, Chacarra was asked what a Rory McIlroy win would do to his lead. His answer was disarmingly honest:
“Well, it’s hard. He’s the No. 2 player in the world and the No. 1 in Europe, and he’s been doing it for a long time, and he plays really good out in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. He has played that course a million times, and I only played it once. Either way, it’s going to be tough. Obviously I’m from Spain. I’m rooting for Jon. Hopefully he can get it done and will help me towards next week,” Chacarra said following the final round of the Abu Dhabi Championship.
“But even if he doesn’t win, he’s going to be up there, and we are going to battle on next week. Obviously the odds are on him and he’s the favourite. But we’ll play golf. We know what I’m capable of when I am playing good. There was a lot of good this week, but I just need to sharpen the bat to have a chance next week.”
Rahm delivered when it mattered. He closed with a 67 to finish at 23 under par, two shots ahead of Tyrrell Hatton, and claim victory on his Abu Dhabi debut. It was his sixth Rolex Series title, a record. McIlroy, who started the final round two shots behind, finished third at 19 under.
For Chacarra, however, the week ended very differently. He cracked his regular driver during the Pro-Am and struggled to find fairways in Thursday’s opening round. Although he improved and shot a 67 on Saturday, his short game continued to trouble him. He also admitted to making mistakes with his wedges, including a bogey after hitting one from the middle of the fairway at the 15th. His problems returned on Sunday when two poor chips at the eighth hole led to a triple bogey. He eventually closed with a 69 to finish at 11 under par.
Rahm’s victory did not change Chacarra’s points total. However, it stopped McIlroy from collecting the 1,500 points awarded to the winner. McIlroy started the week 999.03 points behind Chacarra, with 3,144.86 points compared to Chacarra’s 4,143.89. His third-place finish earned him 565 points, which is expected to move him past Patrick Reed into second place.
The battle will now move to Dubai, where the winner will earn 2,000 points. Second place is worth 1,335 points, while third brings 752 points. McIlroy could have been in a stronger position if not for his Thursday penalty. Without it, he would have finished level with Hatton in second place at 21 under.
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Chacarra has no bad feelings towards McIlroy. Even after the penalty, he defended his playing partner, who is also his direct rival in the Race to Dubai. “I don’t think he improves his lie,” Chacarra said. He has also spoken about McIlroy being one of his idols.
But Chacarra has his own reason to fight for the title. He wants to become the next Spanish player to finish as Europe’s No. 1. Only two Spaniards, Seve Ballesteros and Jon Rahm, have won the season-long title before him. Chacarra has already enjoyed a strong 2026, with three wins at the KLM Open, Italian Open and DP World India Championship.
However, history shows that winning the final event does not always mean winning the Race to Dubai. In 2022, Rahm won the DP World Tour Championship by two shots at 20 under. But McIlroy still finished as the season’s No. 1 after taking fourth place.
Rahm has now won the season finale three times. He could win again in Dubai, but that does not mean he will take the season-long title. Chacarra’s best option is to focus on his own game and protect his lead.
Chacarra will arrive in Dubai at the top of the standings, but he still has work to do. His short game needs attention after his struggles in Abu Dhabi. He got the result he wanted this week, but Jon Rahm cannot fix his chipping problems for him next week.