Rahm Holds One-Shot Lead at Abu Dhabi Championship as McIlroy Chases a Record Eighth Title

Jon Rahm goes into the final round of the Abu Dhabi Championship with a one-shot lead, but Tyrrell Hatton, Francesco Laporta and Rory McIlroy are all within two shots of him. The Spaniard shot a bogey-free six-under 66 at Yas Links on Saturday to reach 18 under.

Rahm’s response under pressure

Rahm began the day in a three-way tie for the lead with Hatton and Laporta and pulled clear late. Hatton briefly drew level after his seventh birdie of the round at the 14th. Rahm reclaimed the outright lead at the 15th with a curling 20-foot birdie putt. He nearly stretched his advantage at the last but narrowly missed another birdie chance.

The 31-year-old is chasing his first individual win outside the LIV tour since the 2023 Masters. He has said recently that he does not know what 2027 holds after leaving LIV. Reports this week say the breakaway league has confirmed it will wind down after five years.

Hatton and Laporta both signed for 67s and sit on 17 under. All three will play together again on Sunday, and Hatton has made clear he relishes the pairing. “Naturally we are going to want to beat each other,” he said. “Hopefully I can get off to a good start and put him under some pressure.” Laporta, 36, led after round one with a 10-under score and is bidding for a first DP World Tour title.

McIlroy’s record chase

The biggest name in the chasing pack is McIlroy, who is on 16 under after a 67. He has recovered from a two-shot penalty in round one for improving his lie before a chip. In round two he made 11 birdies in a 63, then added eight more on Saturday. He also ran off seven birdies in a row from the seventh to the 14th.

Two costly holes cost him the outright lead. He made a double-bogey six at the par-four 10th, then dropped another shot at the par-three 17th after sharing the lead earlier in the round. He admitted to being “a little rueful” about the missed chances but still likes his position. “I’m going to have to go out and shoot a low one, something in the mid to low 60s to get it done,” he said.

The stakes go beyond the trophy. A win would reportedly give McIlroy an eighth Race to Dubai title, matching Colin Montgomerie’s record. He is already projected to rise to second in the standings behind Eugenio Chacarra, who is on eight under after a 67.

Who else is in contention

Adam Scott has not dropped a shot all week. His 66 on Saturday moved him to 15 under and fifth place. Matthew Jordan and David Puig are a shot further back on 14 under. Three Masters champions are in the top five: Rahm (2023), McIlroy (2025 and 2026) and Scott (2013).

The event is the first leg of a two-week playoff series. Seventy players entered, and the top 50 advance to a $10 million finals event in Dubai next week. That gives players lower down the board something to play for on Sunday, even if the title looks likely to go to one of the leading names.

Sky Sports Golf has live coverage of the final round of the Abu Dhabi Championship from 6.30am UK time on Sunday.

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File photo: Jon Rahm Ryder Cup 2025-130 (cropped).jpg by Bryan Berlin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.