Rory McIlroy boosted his bid for a record-equalling eighth Race to Dubai title with a third-place finish at the Abu Dhabi Championship on Sunday, despite missing out on victory.

The world No.2 leapfrogged Patrick Reed into second place in the season-long standings, leaving only Eugenio Chacarra ahead of him before the World Tour Championship gets under way in Dubai on Thursday. Spain’s Jon Rahm emerged victorious to​​​​​​ keep alive an outside chance of claiming the title.

Chacarra, the 26-year-old Spaniard playing his first full season on tour, tied for 22nd in Abu Dhabi, while Reed finished tied for 43rd in the 70-man field.

Northern Ireland’s McIlroy heads into the final event almost 534 points behind Chacarra. With 2,000 points available to the winner, 1,335 for second and 752 for third, there is plenty still at stake.

An eighth title would draw McIlroy level with Colin Montgomerie’s record. The season-long competition was known as the Order of Merit during the Scot’s reign.

A two-shot penalty on Thursday proved costly to McIlroy’s hopes of winning in Abu Dhabi, turning a double-bogey 6 into an 8. However, he took encouragement from his performance ahead of the Dubai finale.

“It was a week where I had my chances,” McIlroy said.

“I would have loved to have won the tournament, but enough positive signs to feel good going into next week.”

Rahm held off Tyrrell Hatton and McIlroy by two strokes for his first victory in three and a half years on the tour which is set to become his full-time home for next season after LIV Golf announced it was to shut down.

He must win on the Earth course this week to have any hope.

“I really didn’t think I was going to have a chance,” he said. “Those are better odds than I expected.”