Eugenio Chacarra’s Driver Failure Derails His Race to Dubai Lead

Race to Dubai leader Eugenio Chacarra was forced to play the opening round of the Abu Dhabi Championship with a replacement driver after his regular club cracked during Wednesday’s Pro-Am at Yas Links.

The 26-year-old Spaniard missed every fairway on the front nine and still managed to post a two-under 70 — but the equipment failure has thrown an unpredictable variable into the biggest two weeks of his career.

Chacarra is trying to hold off Rory McIlroy and Patrick Reed to become just the third Spaniard to win the Harry Vardon Trophy.

“I got a bit unlucky that my driver cracked yesterday in the Pro-Am on the 6th hole, and I can’t really find a fairway,” Chacarra told Sky Sports’ Tim Barter during an on-course interview at Yas Links.

“It’s tough out here if you’re from the rough. The greens are pretty firm if you attack from the rough.”

The break happened on his 60th shot of the Pro-Am, leaving almost no time to adjust before the tournament began.

Chacarra had used the same driver since February.

“I’ve been with that driver since February. I know a lot about that face, I know a lot about the driver,” he explained.

“And even though the backups, they say it’s the same, it definitely wasn’t the same.”

The replacement club had a noticeably higher loft, which disrupted the familiar feel of his setup.

“I see a little more loft on the club. It started getting in my head, and I was kind of like hitting across a bit, and I hit zero fairways on the front nine.”

Despite the radar being dodgy off the tee, Chacarra turned things around on the back nine with four of his six birdies coming home.

“It was a big fight, you know. I turned on 1-over; I finished 2-under,” Chacarra said after a round featuring six birdies and four bogeys.

“I’m happy that I fight it. I’m happy with the fight. And I just need to go do some work on the range to find a driver for tomorrow.”

The difficult start coincided with increasingly challenging conditions at Yas Links.

Chacarra said that the wind picked up and that the greens deteriorated compared with the morning wave, leaving little room for error when he repeatedly found himself playing from the rough.

“If you miss nine fairways, you’re going to make some bogeys,” he acknowledged.

His only regret was the 17th, where he chased a birdie rather than accepting the opportunity to two-putt from around 30 feet.

The 70 also came as Chacarra’s closest Race to Dubai challengers struggled to capitalize.

Patrick Reed’s card had a birdie, a bogey and a double on the last for a 74, leaving him tied for 56th.

Rory McIlroy, meanwhile, appeared to have recovered from a double-bogey 6 at the 12th with three birdies in his next four holes to sign for a 4-under 68.

However, the score did not stand.

After reviewing television footage in the scoring area following his round, officials assessed McIlroy a two-shot penalty for improving his lie at the 12th.

The ruling converted his double-bogey 6 into a quadruple-bogey 8, changing his overall score from 68 to 70.

McIlroy had thought he’d stolen a march on Chacarra when he signed for a 68.

The incident at the 12th occurred when McIlroy’s chip rolled back down a slope into a divot.

Close-up TV replays showed McIlroy’s wedge had pressed some grass down behind his ball when he addressed it — which was adjudged to have improved his lie.

McIlroy accepted his penalty while insisting it was not a deliberate act.

Chacarra defended his playing partner after the round.

“I don’t think he improves his lie,” Chacarra said, having seen McIlroy drop back alongside him on two under.

“Obviously, the referee and him thought different.”

“In the video, it doesn’t look great, but we’ve been watching Rory for a long time — he’s a class man and never tries to improve his lies or do anything.”

“Obviously with this grass in the middle, it’s a fluffy grass, so as soon as you put the weight of the club, the grass is going to come down. How is he supposed to hit that shot? I just need to learn. I think it’s 50/50.”

“I told him I was happy to fight for it, because I didn’t think he improved it. But obviously, the media and everything, he thought it didn’t look very good. To be fair, in the video, it doesn’t look great, but I don’t think he improved it at all.”

McIlroy said after the round: “Obviously there’s no intent — I play by the rules. I try to do everything that I can to never end up in these positions.”

The penalty hurt McIlroy’s chances of closing the gap on Chacarra as he chases a fifth victory in a row and record-equalling eighth European No.1 finish.

After plotting his way around Yas Links, McIlroy only stepped on the gas after his problems.

Chacarra now holds a narrow lead in the Race to Dubai standings with two events remaining.

The Abu Dhabi Championship is the first of those two tournaments.

The DP World Tour Championship in Dubai follows next week.

McIlroy is chasing a record-equalling eighth Race to Dubai title.

Reed is also in contention for the Harry Vardon Trophy, awarded to the winner of the Race to Dubai.

The Race to Dubai is the season-long competition on the DP World Tour, formerly known as the European Tour.

Points are awarded based on finishing positions in each tournament throughout the season.

The player with the most points at the end of the season wins the Harry Vardon Trophy.

Chacarra is trying to become the third Spaniard to win the trophy, following Seve Ballesteros and Jon Rahm.