Jon Rahm leads Abu Dhabi Golf Championship but Rory McIlroy still chasing hard

Show caption: Jon Rahm tees-off on the first hole on Day 3 of the Abu Dhab…

Spaniard leads by one stroke going into final day at Yas Links with Northern Irishman two shots back

One celebrated former world No 1 who is having his 15th crack at winning in Abu Dhabi will try to hunt down another who is on his first visit to the capital at Yas Links on Sunday.

Judging by Jon Rahm’s first trip round the course on the shores of the Arabian Gulf, local knowledge is overrated. After three rounds of his debut at the Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship, the Spaniard holds the lead on 18-under par.

Despite the fact 11 leading players – including three players from the top 20 of the world rankings – opted out of playing in Abu Dhabi, the leaderboard that Rahm tops is impressively starry.

In the chasing back looms the figure of Rory McIlroy, who has gone close to winning this title so many times in his previous 14 trips to the capital, to no avail.

McIlroy is two shots back, with Adam Scott another stroke further on. Between those two and the leader Rahm, there are nine major title wins.

Besides that illustrious duo, there are two players within one stroke of Rahm – the 2021 Abu Dhabi champion Tyrrell Hatton, and the Italian Francesco Laporta.

“It would be amazing [to lift the trophy on his first appearance at Yas],” Rahm said. “It's been a good year so far, but to win again on the DP World Tour would be special.

“To add to the Rolex Series tally and make it six would be fantastic, as well. There's still a lot of golf to play and a lot of things to get done.”

McIlroy followed up the thrilling 63 he made in the second round with a solid, five-under-par 67 a day later.

The margin between him and the leader Rahm is precisely the number of strokes he was docked at the end of his first round after a laws infraction was pointed out to him, following a video review.

Although McIlroy said he had made peace with that issue before he had left the course on Day 1, he knows he now needs a low score if he is to finish as champion for the first time.

“I thought today could have been something similar [to his second-round 63] as well,” said McIlroy, who has finished in the top three 10 times without winning in Abu Dhabi.

“There hasn't been much wind. The course is in perfect condition. The pin positions were a little tougher today.

“I guess they felt like they were trying to protect the course a little bit and protect from some of the really low scores.

“But there's low ones out there and I'm going to have to go out and shoot a low one, something in the mid to low 60s to get it done tomorrow. That will be the goal.”

Updated:

November 07, 2026, 2:52 PM