Overview
- Kim leads the DP World Tour Championship after a bogey‑free 8‑under 64, with Tommy Fleetwood one back at 65 and McIlroy in a tie for third after a 66.
- McIlroy entered the finale with a roughly 767‑point lead in the season standings and remains positioned to secure a fourth straight and seventh overall Race to Dubai title.
- Only Marco Penge and Tyrrell Hatton can still catch McIlroy; Penge opened with a 74 after illness earlier in the week and Hatton shot 70 to sit six off the lead.
- Penge must win and have McIlroy finish worse than second alone, or tie for second with McIlroy finishing outside the top eight; Hatton needs a win with McIlroy lower than eighth.
- The season finale at Jumeirah Golf Estates awards 2,000 points to the winner, carries a $10 million purse, and includes a separate $6 million bonus pool for the top 10 in the Race to Dubai.