GOLF – Race to Dubai leader Eugenio Chacarra has confirmed he will tee it up at the Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship at Yas Links from November 5 to 8, as the Spaniard bids to become only the third player from his country, after Seve Ballesteros and Jon Rahm, to lift the coveted Harry Vardon Trophy.
Chacarra claimed his third victory of a remarkable 2026 season at the DP World India Championship last Sunday, completing 25 holes on a marathon final day at Delhi Golf Club and posting a closing 70 to win by two shots on 21 under par.
The result saw him leapfrog long-time leader Patrick Reed in the rankings, where he now sits on 4,092.89 points, and lifted him from 50th to 39th in the Official World Golf Ranking.
His victory in Delhi followed wins at the KLM Open and the DS Automobiles 83° Open d’Italia in June, taking his DP World Tour tally to four after last season’s Hero Indian Open triumph at DLF Golf and Country Club.
“It would mean the world [to follow in the footsteps of Rahm and Ballesteros],” said Chacarra.
“Those two guys are heroes for me as a Spanish golfer – Seve did everything for European and Spanish golf, and then Jon, he’s a guy that I’ve been looking up to since he went to college and professional golf. What he has accomplished, it’s amazing.
“Hopefully I can put my name on that trophy too. That’s one of the goals.”
Reed, who sits second, and fourth-placed Casey Jarvis have also confirmed their places at Yas Links, and with Rory McIlroy and defending champion Aaron Rai, third and fifth respectively, already in the field, the top five in the Race to Dubai Rankings will all tee it up in Abu Dhabi.
Reed arrives looking to reclaim the top spot he held for more than seven months, after wins at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic and the Qatar Masters on either side of a play-off loss at the Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship.
The American has added three further top 10 finishes across 19 starts this season, including a runner-up finish at the Amgen Irish Open in September.
“Eugenio has played some incredible golf to get to where he is, so it’s going to be a great battle over the next few weeks,” said Reed.
“Abu Dhabi is a big week in that race, and I’m looking forward to getting back to the UAE, where my season really took off.”
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