Rory McIlroy is aiming to become the Race to Dubai champion for the fourth consecutive year. The season-long competition concludes at the DP World Tour Championship, which gets underway on Thursday, with McIlroy currently top of the Race to Dubai rankings.
The Northern Irishman has established a considerable lead over his rivals following his unforgettable Masters triumph in April and subsequent victory at the Irish Open. His T3 finish at the recent Abu Dhabi Championship means only Marco Penge and Tyrell Hatton can prevent McIlroy from clinching the Race to Dubai title for the seventh time in his career. That would leave the 36-year-old just one short of Colin Montgomerie’s record eight championships. It could prove to be a lucrative week for McIlroy, who has two opportunities to earn sizeable prize money.
McIlroy enters the DP World Tour Championship aiming to win the Dubai event for the fourth time. The field is comprised of the top 50 players in the Race to Dubai standings, along with Ludvig Aberg and Shane Lowry, following their contributions to Team Europe’s Ryder Cup success. There is a £7.6million prize pot to be shared out at the event. The winner of the DP World Tour Championship will receive £2.2m.
That sum could serve as a bonus for McIlroy, should he win the event and also hold on to his spot at the top of the Race to Dubai standings. The golfer who tops the overall table at the end of the season will earn £1.14m, meaning McIlroy could earn a combined £3.3m.
Penge and Hatton are the only two golfers who can stop McIlroy winning his seventh Harry Vardon Trophy and scooping up the £1.14m Race to Dubai prize. Penge currently sits behind McIlroy and requires at least being in a three-way tie for second at the DP World Tour Championship to stand any chance, while Hatton is further back in the rankings.
Meanwhile, a second-place finish for McIlroy this week would guarantee him the Race to Dubai title. The Masters champion was full of confidence after his latest display at the Abu Dhabi Championship.
“I really like that golf course,” McIlroy said about Jumeirah Golf Estates, which hosts the DP World Tour Championship. “It really suits me.
“Probably suits me a little bit better than this course does this week just in terms of what you need to do off the tee and into the greens. “
He added: “Yeah, look, this was a great confidence-builder this week coming off a couple weeks off and hopefully just produce more of the same next Thursday and onwards.”
Race to Dubai current standings
1 Rory McIlroy – 4,640.06 points
2. Marco Penge – 3,873.04 points
3. Tyrell Hatton – 2,919.18 points
4. Kristoffer Reitan – 2,655.65 points
5. Robert MacIntyre – 2,635.39 points
6. Adrien Saddier – 2,518.93 points
7. John Parry – 2,431.65 points
8. Alex Noren – 2,414.32 points
9. Aaron Rai – 2,391.60 points
10. Tommy Fleetwood – 2,366.47 points