Jon Rahm launches ball into water after shocking four-putt from eight feet at DP World Tour Championship

Jon Rahm endured a nightmare moment during the third round of the DP World Tour Championship after somehow taking four putts from eight feet to card a disastrous double bogey on the 16th hole.

The Spaniard had worked his way into contention at Jumeirah Golf Estates on Saturday, sitting at 4-under par for the tournament before producing a superb approach shot at the par-4 16th.

Rahm looked poised to move another step closer to the leaders after leaving himself under 10 feet for birdie.

However, what followed was a remarkable putting collapse that will be one of the most frustrating moments of his season.

The two-time major champion sent his first attempt past the hole, leaving himself around three feet to make par.

But Rahm misjudged the break with his next effort, watching the ball roll a similar distance past the opposite side of the cup.

Things went from bad to worse when he then under-read the break with his third attempt, missing on the right-hand side to leave himself with the embarrassing prospect of a four-putt.

He eventually converted his fourth attempt, but the damage had already been done, with Rahm walking away with a double-bogey six.

The former LIV Golf player was visibly frustrated with the sequence of events, plucking his Callaway ball from the hole before launching it into the water.

Watch Rahm's remarkable four-putt collapse on Sky Sports Golf here. 

Thankfully, the Spaniard managed to recover a shot at the par-5 18th, signing for a third consecutive round of 71 to finish Saturday on 3-under par.

That leaves Rahm six shots behind tournament leader and his former LIV Golf teammate Tyrrell Hatton heading into Sunday's final round.

Hatton carded an impressive 4-under 68 to move to 9-under par, opening up a one-shot advantage over Victor Perez, who climbed into second place with a 67.

Mikael Lindberg sits third on 6-under par, while main Race to Dubai contenders Rory McIlroy and Eugenio Chacarra are both on 5-under par.

As it stands, Chacarra holds the advantage, but a first or second-place finish from McIlroy would give him every chance of landing a joint-record eighth Race to Dubai title and his fifth in a row at Jumeirah Golf Estates. 

Rahm will need to win the DP World Tour Championship to retain any realistic chance of claiming a second Race to Dubai crown.

Hatton, meanwhile, is chasing a record-equalling sixth Rolex Series title on the DP World Tour.