Hatton leads Dubai finale as McIlroy slips four back

Tyrrell Hatton holds a one-shot lead going into the final round of the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai, while Rory McIlroy slipped four strokes off the pace in his bid for a record-equalling eighth Race to Dubai title, according to Sky Sports.

The two had been level at the top at the halfway stage at Jumeirah Golf Estates, BBC Sport reports. Hatton shot 69 in the second round, while McIlroy followed an opening 69 with a 70.

A tough day for McIlroy

McIlroy briefly took the outright lead with an eagle at the par-five seventh. He then lost momentum, with three bogeys in a row around the turn.

A closing birdie rescued a level-par 72 and left him on five under, tied for fourth with Spain's Eugenio Chacarra, the Race to Dubai leader going into the week.

Hatton, chasing a ninth DP World Tour title, carded a four-under 68 to edge ahead of France's Victor Perez. Sweden's Mikael Lindberg is three strokes back in third.

What McIlroy needs on Sunday

A win would take McIlroy level with Scotland's Colin Montgomerie, who won eight season-long titles. Sky Sports reports that McIlroy needs at least a solo fourth-place finish to have any chance of overtaking Chacarra in the standings.

Both men are on five under, alongside Adam Scott and Francesco Laporta. After round one, BBC Sport reported that only Chacarra and McIlroy could guarantee the season-long title by winning this week.

BBC Sport also reported then that Chacarra led McIlroy by 533.93 points in the standings, with 2,000 available to the winner.

Scoring is tough in Dubai

McIlroy has repeatedly said the course is playing difficult. "It's a tough test," he told reporters after the second round, according to CBS Sports.

He also said the scoring had been an eye-opener. "Anything in the 60s, it seems, this week is a good score," McIlroy said, according to BBC Sport.

McIlroy is seeking a fourth DP World Tour Championship win and a fifth successive Race to Dubai title. Sunday's final round will show whether he can recover.