Jon Rahm holds off Hatton and McIlroy to win the 2026 Abu Dhabi Championship

Four players shared the lead on the back nine at Yas Links on Sunday. Three holes later, Jon Rahm was two clear of his nearest challenger. The Spaniard had turned a crowded leaderboard into a two-shot victory at the 2026 Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship, signing for a five-under 67 to finish at 23 under par and claim a record sixth Rolex Series title on his tournament debut.

Tyrrell Hatton finished second at 21 under, with Rory McIlroy third at 19 under and Francesco Laporta fourth at 17 under. For Rahm, it was an 11th DP World Tour victory and his first since the 2023 Masters. It also came a month after his departure from LIV Golf, giving his return to the DP World Tour an immediate sense of purpose.

Three birdies settle a four-way fight

Rahm began Sunday one shot ahead, but McIlroy wasted little time closing the gap. An opening birdie and an eagle putt from off the green at the second took him to 19 under. Laporta, playing alongside Rahm and Hatton in the final group and chasing his first DP World Tour title, also took the outright lead early in the round. By the 11th, all four were briefly tied at 20 under.

Rahm birdied the 11th and 12th, and the second of those gains proved particularly valuable. Laporta bogeyed the 12th to hand Rahm a two-shot swing, then fell out of contention with a triple bogey at the par-three 13th. Rahm’s approach at the 15th left him a tap-in birdie. Hatton matched it to stay within two, but Rahm closed with three straight pars to secure the trophy.

Hatton’s bogey-free 68 kept the pressure on throughout the afternoon. He and Rahm had started the week level on five Rolex Series wins, so their duel carried a record as well as a trophy. McIlroy’s charge, meanwhile, stalled with a bogey at the 15th, and he closed with a 69.

McIlroy closes in on Chacarra in the Race to Dubai

McIlroy’s third place moved him above Patrick Reed into second in the Race to Dubai. Eugenio Chacarra, whose victory at the DP World India Championship had taken him to the top of the standings, heads into the finale with a 533.93-point lead over McIlroy. With 2,000 points available to the winner in Dubai, McIlroy can still equal Colin Montgomerie’s record of eight Harry Vardon Trophies. He has already won three times on the Earth Course.

Rahm’s victory moved him from 51st to sixth in the standings, and Hatton’s runner-up finish also secured his place in the finale. The top 50 available players now head to Jumeirah Golf Estates for the DP World Tour Championship from 12 to 15 November. Chacarra arrives with the lead, McIlroy with a record in sight and Rahm with the form that made the difference when four players stood level at Yas Links.