Rory McIlroy wiped out a drone with an incredible shot on the driving range at the HSBC Championship in Abu Dhabi. The 35-year-old came home in joint-third after climbing up the order with a brilliant final round of 62, all but securing the Harry Vardon Trophy.
While competing in Abu Dhabi, McIlroy linked up with former Real Madrid winger Gareth Bale for a unique challenge on the range. They were tasked with hitting one of the drones flying overhead and it did not take long for McIlroy to deliver the goods.
Bale, a keen golfer, went close on a few occasions before McIlroy nailed the drone and sent it spinning out of the sky. The two sporting legends whooped and cheered before sharing a celebratory handshake, with Bale declaring: “Let’s go home, it’s a wrap.”
McIlroy went on to produce an impressive final round at Yas Links to claim joint-third at the HSBC Championship. He ended up three shots adrift of eventual winner Paul Waring, who recorded his first DP World Tour victory in more than six years.
The result all but secured top spot for McIlroy in the Race to Dubai, with second-placed Thriston Lawrence some 1,800 points behind the Northern Irishman ahead of next week’s season finale at Jumeirah Golf Estates.
Reflecting on the standings after the penultimate event of the campaign, McIlroy said: “I do feel in a good position. I saw Thriston making a charge today and I was keeping one eye on the leaderboard and looking at what he was doing. I saw he posted 20.
“Every shot counts at this moment in time and I was glad to make the four at the last and at least give myself half a chance at this tournament this week but also give myself a little bit more of a cushion going into Dubai next week as well.”
Another triumph for McIlroy would leave him two adrift of Colin Montgomerie’s record of eight titles, which he won between 1993 and 2005. The former recently explained that he was motivated by the idea of breaking the record before he eventually retires.
“I would like to go down as the most successful European of all time,” said McIlroy. “Obviously, Race to Dubai wins would count to that, but also major championships.
“Hopefully I’ve got a few more Ryder Cups ahead of me as well. I think that is a goal that’s quite attainable over the next 10 years.”
