'It is going to be a tough test and that is what I dreamed of since I was little'

Eugenio Chacarra hopes he can bring his A-game and fend off Rory McIlroy at the season-ending DP World Tour Championship to claim the Race to Dubai title.

Spaniard Chacarra holds a 533.93 lead over Masters champion McIlroy heading into the finale at Jumeirah Golf Estates, where 2,000 points are available to the winner.

placeholder image — Eugenio Chacarra, who hopes he can bring his A-game and fend off Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy at the season-ending DP World Tour Championship to claim the Race to Dubai title. (Photo by Brian Lawless/Press Association)

After a third-place finish at last week’s Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship, McIlroy has his eyes on a fifth successive Race to Dubai crown, which would match Colin Montgomerie’s record of eight overall.

The likes of Patrick Reed, USPGA champion Aaron Rai, Jon Rahm and Open winner Ryan Fox are also all still within a mathematical chance of making a late surge for the top of the standings should the leaders fall back.

Chacarra knows there will be little margin for error when he heads out on Thursday in marquee final pairing alongside McIlroy.

“Obviously we know how good Rory McIlroy is and he is one of my idols. It is going to be a tough test and that is what I dreamed of since I was little,” Chacarra said at a pre-tournament press conference on Wednesday.

“But I already beat him in India (at the DP World India Championship in October), so I need to remind myself that I can compete with him and I can beat him like I did already a couple weeks ago.

“This is a course that he has had a lot of success (on) and I only played once and didn’t do very good, but they are just numbers. This is golf and crazy things happen.

“I am just going to enjoy myself, and if I bring my A-game, I am going to be able to compete with him on Sunday.”