DUBAI — Eugenio Chacarra cut a frustrated figure for much of his opening round at the DP World Tour Championship as he began the daunting task of holding off Rory McIlroy.

Race to Dubai leader Chacarra played alongside the world No. 2 for the opening loop at the Earth Course, and he was fizzing with frustration en route to an even-par 72.

Chacarra’s four birdies were canceled out by as many bogeys, and he had to settle for a share of 23rd place. McIlroy, meanwhile, navigated the windy conditions smartly and finished the day in a tie for third at three under, two shots off the lead of Joost Luiten.

Chacarra retains a narrow lead in the projected rankings as things stand, but the pressure will intensify over the remaining 54 holes as he vies to do something achieved by only two other Spaniards – Seve Ballesteros and Jon Rahm – and win the DP World Tour’s season-long race.

The Madridian has more than a bit of Seve in him. His ball striking is his biggest strength, but he is also a fiery and fierce competitor, and he is not one to hide it.

His putting, however, has room for improvement, and there were signs of nerves in his stroke early on, jabbing at a couple of short ones with his broom handle before settling into his work.

On numerous occasions, Chacarra vented furiously to caddie Gonzalo Vicente. Particularly spiky outbursts came on the walks to the 14th and 16th tees.

He had three-putted at the 205-yard par-three 13th, and he was unable to avoid another dropped shot at 15th after yanking his drive into the trees.

Chacarra’s fans need not be too concerned. This is who he is, after all. The 26-year-old is no robot, and last week in Abu Dhabi, he fist-pumped after par saves in the final round despite being out of contention. He needs to play better if he is to deny McIlroy, but he will not back down.

"It was tough. Obviously, playing in the last group, the wind was out there, the greens weren't as good as in the morning, so we knew it was going to be a long day," he said.

"Proud of the fight. Obviously, a lot of things to do better. I think maybe a couple of mistakes strategy-wise. Made a bogey on 13 that I thought I was in the right spot, and you can't really be short of that pin because with the conditions and the wind, with the down-grain, it was almost impossible to leave your putt close.

"And then, yeah, all my bogeys. It's like I'm making birdies, I'm playing good, the good is good, I just need to be able to clean the card a little in the next couple of days."

"I'm playing against the best players in the world. I know I need to do a couple of things better to be able to have a chance on Sunday, and that's what I'm going to focus on. I think if I fix those, a little strategy-wise and I can putt a little better, I think I'm going to have a chance on Sunday. So I'm excited to keep going tomorrow."

A redraw was conducted after the opening round, meaning Chacarra and McIlroy will be seperated on Friday. The former will play alongside Grant Forrest at 10:20 a.m. (1:20 a.m. ET), and McIlroy will tee it up with Adrian Otaegui at 12:10 p.m. (3:10 a.m. ET).