Rory McIlroy moved another step closer to sealing his sixth Race to Dubai crown, carding a five under par 67 to share the lead with Ryder Cup teammate Tyrrell Hatton after the opening round of the season-ending DP World Tour Championship, Dubai.

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The four-time Major Champion drained a 48ft putt on the 17th hole for his sixth birdie of the day, following earlier gains on the second, third, seventh, tenth and 14th holes, with his sole bogey coming on the fifth hole.

McIlroy is chasing his third victory in the DP World Tour Championship having previously won the title at Jumeirah Golf Estates in 2012 and 2015, also clinching the Race to Dubai crown on both of those occasions.

He strengthened his chances of ending the week with two trophies once again by matching Hatton’s opening round effort in the final Rolex Series event of 2024, with South African Thriston Lawrence, the only player who can still deny him the Race to Dubai title, six shots off the pace in a share off 37th position after a one over par opening 73.

LIV Golfer Hatton, has twice been a runner-up in the DP World Tour Championship in 2016 and 2022 and also finished second in last week’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, the first of the two events in the DP World Tour Play-Offs. He posted seven birdies, with bogeys on the third and 12th holes, in his round of 67.

Last week’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship winner, Paul Waring, continued his impressive form in the inaugural Play-Offs, signing for a four-under-par round of 68 to sit one shot back in his bid for back-to-back Rolex Series titles.

BMW PGA Championship winner Billy Horschel is a further shot back on three under par in a share of fourth place with seven other players, including four winners on the DP World Tour already this year: Keita Nakajima and Rikuya Hoshino of Japan, Englishman Matt Wallace and Denmark’s Niklas Nørgaard.

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