The wildest of circumstances would prevent Rory McIlroy from winning a sixth Order of Merit at next week’s DP World Tour Championship.

Rory McIlroy suffered a sand nightmare in the desert to fall nine shots behind leader Paul Waring at the Abu Dhabi Championship. World No.229 Waring shot a career-best 61 to take a five-shot lead into the weekend of the DP World Tour’s first playoff event.

Rory McIlroy's charge at the Abu Dhabi Championship faltered when he found water off his drive and made double bogey on the last hole on Saturday, leaving him five shots off the lead held by Paul Waring heading into the final round.

Race to Dubai leader Rory McIlroy looked set to put himself in contention at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship until he drove into water at the 18th and ran up a double-bogey seven. A three-under 69 left the Northern Irishman on 13 under and with a five-shot deficit to make up on Sunday on leader Paul Waring.

Try as he might, Rory McIlroy just cannot do boring. Even if he has been some way short of his spectacular best so far at Yas Links this week, he has had the chance to put the Race to Dubai title to bed with a week still to run.