DP World Tour Championship: Daniel Hillier edges closer to PGA Tour as Rory McIlroy closes in on Race to Dubai title

New Zealand's Daniel Hillier plays a shot from the fairway at the fifth hole on day two of the DP World Tour Championship 2025 at Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai. Photo / AFP

Kiwi Daniel Hillier remains on pace to earn a spot on the PGA Tour with two rounds left in the DP World Tour season.

Hillier sits in a five-way tie for second midway through the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai after carding a four-under 68 to move to nine-under.

Nicolai Hojgaard of Denmark leads at 12-under. Hillier, shares second alongside Ryder Cup teammates Justin Rose, Shane Lowry and Rory McIlroy, who he will tee off with in the third round.

As it stands, Hillier is projected to join Ryan Fox on the PGA Tour with a second placed finish putting him 12th in the season standings. The top 10 who don’t already have PGA Tour cards, earn spots for the 2026 season.

Hillier had a mixed start to round two with a bogey, birdie, birdie, bogey open across the first four holes but he had five birdies to go with one more bogey to finish the day.

Despite struggling with his game, McIlroy once again showed his mastery of the Earth course with a three-under par 69 keeping the world No 2 way ahead in the Race to Dubai.

“It was a struggle out there today,” admitted McIlroy, who started with a bogey and avoided one on the par-five 18th with a brilliant up-and-down after he had fluffed his second shot from thick rough.

“I had to battle a little more. The conditions were slightly tougher, as well, if you looked at the scoring yesterday compared to today. I missed a couple more fairways today.

“But I felt like I showed my scoring skills today, and, battled well and stayed patient, and got the ball up-and-down when I needed to,” continued the Northern Irishman.

“Overall, to shoot 69, I’m pretty pleased considering some of the spots that I found myself.”

England’s Tyrrell Hatton (67), one of only two players who can stop McIlroy from winning a seventh Order of Merit crown, improved to sit in tied 11th place at seven-under.

But Hatton will have to win the tournament and then hope McIlroy finishes outside the top-eight to have a chance.

The other player in contention, England’s Marco Penge (70) was way down at tied 44th place.

Hojgaard started birdie-eagle and raced to six-under-par through his front nine, but could pick up only one more shot on the back nine with a birdie on the par-five 14th.

The Dane, winner of the tournament in 2023, put himself in a good position adding a 65 to his opening round 67.

“It’s good to be back this year in a little bit of form,” said Hojgaard, who failed to qualify last year.

“It’s one of my favourite tournaments and favourite courses to play.

“The key was staying really patient again. Yesterday, was a really good round, and I felt like I actually might have played a little bit better today.

“I think the golf course suits my eye. I really like it off the tees. I feel like it’s a positional golf course as well. It’s a mix of driver down to 4-iron. And it plays into my strength, which is mid-irons.”

The tournament has the richest purse on the DP World Tour – US$10 million – and the top 10 players also get a share of a US$6 million bonus pool at the end of the season.

– With AFP