9 gamers – Chacarra, McIlroy, Reed, Casey Jarvis, Aaron Rai, Jon Rahm, Ryan Fox, Jayden Schaper and Daniel Hillier – can nonetheless clinch the Race to Dubai, however solely Chacarra and McIlroy can assure the season-long accolade with victory at Jumeirah Golf Estates this week.
Northern Eire’s McIlroy, who’s aiming to match Scotland’s Colin Montgomerie’s file of eight season-long crowns, birdied two of his opening 4 holes earlier than giving a shot again on the fifth.
He birdied the seventh and eleventh, and whereas he took six on the par-five 14th, he completed with a two-putt birdie 4 to finish joint third.
“You’ll be able to’t win it on the primary day, however you may definitely lose it,” added McIlroy.
“I performed properly, so there was by no means any risk of me capturing a foul one.
“But it surely was potential immediately to go on the market and shoot a pair over and really feel such as you had been kind of out of the event.
“To get off to a strong begin was essential.”
Chacarra, who has received 3 times already this season, completed his entrance 9 with three straight birdies to show in two-under 34 however dropped photographs at 13 and 15 to lie 5 again of Luiten.
Rahm, who catapulted himself into competition final week in Abu Dhabi, by successful his first event since leaving LIV Golf, blended 4 birdies and three bogeys in a gap 71 to sit down alongside New Zealand’s Hillier.
Jarvis (+2), Schaper (+2), Fox (+2), Rai (+4) all have work to do, whereas England’s Tommy Fleetwood additionally struggled in a gap 76.
Dutchman Luiten, the lowest-ranked participant within the subject, turned in 5 below however cancelled two birdies with two bogeys on the again 9 to accept a 67, one away from Denmark’s Jacob Skov Olesen.
