Jon Rahm shot a 6-under 66 on Saturday to reach 18-under 198 and take a one-shot lead at the Abu Dhabi Championship, according to the Associated Press. Rory McIlroy shot 67 and sits two back.
The stakes are real. This Abu Dhabi golf tournament opens the DP World Tour Play-Offs and carries a $9 million prize fund, per the DP World Tour. The top 50 in the playoff standings move on to the $10 million finale in Dubai.
What It Means for the Playoffs
Every putt on Sunday carries ranking points, not just trophy hopes. The playoff cut line shapes who reaches Dubai, so players far down the board are chasing money and position too. Meanwhile, the two men at the top are chasing a bigger prize.
This is the fourth Rolex Series event of the season. There was no cut after 36 holes, so all 70 players got the full four rounds.
Rahm Leads the Abu Dhabi Championship After Saturday at Yas Links
Rahm’s 66 put him at 18-under 198 through 54 holes, per Arab News. Tyrrell Hatton and Francesco Laporta are tied for second, one shot behind. That makes it a three-way scrap at the top, with McIlroy lurking right behind them.
One shot is not much of a cushion, but it beats chasing.
His path here also follows a big off-course decision, since Rahm left LIV.
McIlroy Lets One Slip at the Abu Dhabi Event
McIlroy had shared the lead with Rahm on Saturday. Then he bogeyed the par-3 17th and dropped to fourth, two shots back at 16-under, as Sky Sports and the AP both note.
His round was a roller coaster. He ran off seven birdies between Nos. 7 and 14, and he made a double-bogey 6 at the 10th that broke up the run. Even so, a 67 in 34°C (94°F) heat is hardly a bad day at the office.
McIlroy lit up Friday with a 9-under 63 and 11 birdies, so he has plenty of fireworks in him. After round two, he called himself “a much better position than I thought I would be” in.
He is also hunting Monty’s Race to Dubai record, so every shot counts twice.
A Crowded Top Five
Adam Scott fired a bogey-free 66 and is 15-under in fifth place, according to Sky Sports. The top five includes three Masters winners: Rahm (2023), McIlroy (2025, 2026) and Scott (2013).
That star power makes this Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship leaderboard one of the strongest of the season.
What to Watch Sunday
The final round is Sunday, Nov. 8. Sky Sports Golf coverage begins at 6:30 a.m. UK time. A one-shot lead with Hatton, Laporta and McIlroy all within reach usually means somebody makes a charge and somebody blinks.
Whoever wins the Abu Dhabi Championship will have earned it.
The winner will head straight to Jumeirah Golf Estates for the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai, Nov. 12 to 15. Rahm wants to arrive with a trophy, and McIlroy wants to take it from him.
So who blinks first?
