Spain’s Eugenio Chacarra feels right at home playing in India.
Having already picked up his first win on the DP World Tour at the 2025 Hero Indian Open to earn full status, Chacarra won for the third time this season on Sunday in New Delhi and moved to the top of the Order of Merit with a two-shot victory over New Zealand’s Daniel Hillier at the DP World India Championship.
"I know what I'm capable of, I was one of the best amateurs in the world and I wanted to be one of the best professional players in the world,” Chacarra said. “I work really hard, I've got a great team surrounding me, they're always trying to make me better and I think we've been doing a great job. Great hard work and it's paying off and I'm really thankful for it."
Chacarra
continued a recent run of good form, which included a third place at the French Open and then a runner-up finish at last week’s Spanish Open. He eagled 18 at Delhi Golf Club to wrap up a 9-under 63 on early Sunday morning and closed in 70 to post 21-under 267 for the week. European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald greeted him as he came off the 18th hole with his fourth career victory, which leapfrogged him past American Patrick Reed and into the top spot in the Race to Dubai, the circuit’s version of the FedEx Cup.
"Congrats. Another win, well done,” Donald said to Chacarra, who won twice in June at the KLM Open and the Italian Open. “Top of the list, keep doing it!"
Reed (69) tied for 23rd and Rory McIlroy, who sits in third in the season-long standings, shot 74 to be four shots further back and T-42 and complained that his game wasn’t sharp but he’ll fine-tune it before competing in Abu Dhabi and Dubai next month in pursuit of his eighth Race to Dubai title.
“Two of the best players in the world are coming for me now,” Chacarra said, “and I know they are not going to make it easy.”
Hillier was the only player to finish within five strokes of Chacarra after carding 64 and 67 over the weekend. Adrian Meronk (68) and Angel Hidalgo (69) were tied for third at 15 under. Weather delays forced most of the contenders to finish their third rounds on Sunday and then go right back out to play the final round.
“The last round was tough — it was really tiring waking up three days in a row at 4 a.m.,” Chacarra said. “My body wasn’t there, I didn’t feel good. It’s hard to go in on a big lead — you don’t want to push but there are guys making birdies.”
Chacarra took care of business with birdies on two of the first three holes. He made his lone bogey of the final round at the sixth but birdied the par-4 11th for the third time that week and coasted in with seven straight pars. The Madrid native and former LIV golfers is staking an early claim to being one of Europe’s most promising players to represent it at next year’s Ryder Cup at Adare Manor in Ireland.
“I’ve told Luke I want to be on that team by not just a pick, I want to be one of the six (automatic) spots,” Chacarra said. “That’s one of the goals and I’m working really hard for it. We’re still a year away but I know what I’m capable of. I know I’m a good player, I have a lot of charisma and I want to keep getting better and keep winning.”
Adam Schupak is a Golfweek senior writer.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Eugenio Chacarra wins India Championship, grabs lead in Race to Dubai
