Rory McIlroy is tied for the lead at the halfway mark of the season-ending DP World Tour Championship as he chases a record-equalling eighth Race to Dubai title, BBC Sport reported. The six-time major winner followed a three-under opening 69 with an up-and-down 70 to join England's Tyrrell Hatton at five under at Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai. Hatton mixed five birdies and two bogeys in a 69. Overnight leader Joost Luiten carded a 73 and is one shot back, alongside Norway's Kristoffer Reitan. McIlroy is guaranteed to equal Colin Montgomerie's record of eight season-long crowns if he wins this week. He sits four shots ahead of Race to Dubai leader Eugenio Chacarra, the Spaniard who won three times earlier this season and birdied his last two holes to finish one under.
"I think it's been a bit eye-opening to see the scoring the first two days," said McIlroy, the world number two. "I don't think the wind is supposed to be as up over the weekend, so the scoring might be a little bit better." He has been coming back to the course for more than 15 years and usually associates it with low scoring. "And then when it's not, you just have to adjust," he indicated, as the setup produced higher numbers than in some past years. Other players on the published leaderboard included Marcus Lindberg, Frederic Schott, and Victor Perez at three under, with Jon Rahm and David Puig among those at two under. Tommy Fleetwood was three over, Aaron Rai six over, and Patrick Reed eight over after two rounds.
The event is the climax of the European tour's season-long race, and McIlroy's position is simple: a win would match Montgomerie's record, while Chacarra, still leading the Race to Dubai, can seize the season title if the week breaks his way. Hatton's presence at the top means McIlroy does not have a clear run at the lead heading into the weekend.
The verified picture is a halfway leaderboard, not a finished championship. Conditions may ease, scores may drop, and four shots is a usable but not safe gap on Chacarra in a 72-hole event still only half done. Weekend weather and a softer setup could let the chasing pack close up, which is why McIlroy was already talking about adjustment rather than a victory lap after 36 holes. The remaining two rounds will decide both the tournament and, very likely, the season-long race that McIlroy has been chasing all year.