What Rory McIlroy Needs To Win Sixth Race To Dubai Title
The Northern Irishman holds a handsome lead at the top of the standings but still requires a high finish to deny Thriston Lawrence a chance of overtaking him
Rory McIlroy is within touching distance of a sixth Race To Dubai title - otherwise known as the Harry Vardon trophy - which would move him alongside the legendary Seve Ballesteros in second on the all-time list.
Colin Montgomerie is at the top with eight Order of Merit awards to his name, and while the Northern Irishman has regularly admitted his desire to surpass the iconic Scot one day, he must first take care of business in 2024.
McIlroy has only played 11 counting events throughout this season but has racked up almost 5,000 Race To Dubai points thanks to a second at the Dubai Invitational and a victory at the Dubai Desert Classic early on.
The 35-year-old went on to finish second at the US Open, the Irish Open, and the BMW PGA Championship, with a couple more top-fives coming at the Scottish Open (T4th) and last week's Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship (T3rd) also helping his cause.
Heading into the final event - the DP World Tour Championship - McIlroy has a lead of 1,785.02 points over South African Thriston Lawrence, now the only man who can catch the World No.3.
A post shared by DP World Tour (@dpworldtour)
A photo posted by on
Immediately after finishing the week on 21-under, one stroke better than Lawrence, McIlroy admitted he was keeping half an eye on the wider picture as well as trying to win the tournament at Yas Links.
In relation to the Race To Dubai fight, he 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-under.
Get the top Black Friday deals right in your inbox: Sign up now!
The hottest deals and product recommendations during deals season straight to your inbox plus all the best game-changing tips, in-depth features and the latest news and insights around the game.
“Obviously I wanted to birdie the last, anyway, but I know that birdie, even if it isn't to win the tournament this week, it obviously gives me that little bit extra of a cushion going into next week.
“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.”
The situation for both now is reasonably clear. If McIlroy finishes in solo 11th or better at the DP World Tour Championship, which is offering 12,000 RTD points in total and only contains 50 players, he will land the season-long title - regardless of whether Lawrence wins on the Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates.
Race To Dubai Position | Name | Points | Events Played |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Rory McIlroy | 4,997.66 | 11 |
2 | Thriston Lawrence | 3,212.64 | 23 |
From the South African's point of view, he must try to collect a first win of the season - adding to five runner-up finishes and five more top-10s - or hope McIlroy suffers a rare off day while still finishing at the sharp end of the leaderboard.
Even if Lawrence does come up short in his quest for the Race To Dubai crown, he is assured of competing against McIlroy over in the US next season after landing one of the 10 PGA Tour cards available to DP World Tour golfers.
Lawrence leads Rasmus Hojgaard and Paul Waring in that particular sprint, with Jordan Smith fighting to be the final man in after play concludes at the Earth Course on Sunday.
Jonny Leighfield is our Staff News Writer who joined Golf Monthly just in time for the 2023 Solheim Cup and Ryder Cup. He graduated from the University of Brighton with a degree in Sport Journalism in 2017 and spent almost five years as the sole sports reporter at his local newspaper. During his time with Golf Monthly, Jonny has interviewed several stars of the game, including Robert MacIntyre, Ian Poulter, and Lee Westwood. An improving golfer himself, Jonny enjoys learning as much about the game as he can and is hoping to reach his Handicap goal of 18 at some stage. He attended both the 150th and 151st Open Championships and dreams of attending The Masters one day.
-
How Adam Scott Helped Shape The Design Of The Two New L.A.B. Golf Putters
Today marks the exciting release of the L.A.B. Golf OZ.1 collection. Let’s take a closer look at what golfers can expect…
By Joe Ferguson Published
-
The Three Most Confusing Rules In Golf And How To Interpret Them
At times, golf’s rules can be complex and confusing. Here we look at three of the most confusing rules in golf and give you the info you need to understand them.
By Fergus Bisset Published
-
Rory McIlroy Posts Heartfelt Message To 'Hero' And 'Inspiration' Rafa Nadal Following Tennis Icon's Retirement
The Spanish tennis player has left the game after 22 Grand Slam victories - and four-time Major winner McIlroy joined in with the messages of congratulations
By Jonny Leighfield Published
-
Teams Announced Ahead Of GB&I vs Europe Team Cup Match
Nine of the ten players for each side have been confirmed by the DP World Tour
By Elliott Heath Published
-
Sergio Garcia Rejoins DP World Tour
The Spaniard has rejoined the DP World Tour, opening the possibility of him resuming his record-breaking career on the European Ryder Cup team
By Mike Hall Published
-
Rory McIlroy Proves Fierce Loyalty To Caddie With Heartfelt Message In Race To Dubai Victory Speech
Addressing Harry Diamond after winning the Race To Dubai, McIlroy thanked his best friend and called any stick he had received this year "unwarranted"
By Jonny Leighfield Published
-
How All 10 DP World Tour Graduates Fared In The 2024 PGA Tour Season
Robert MacIntyre won twice while Matthieu Pavon also earned a big tournament victory...
By Elliott Heath Published
-
BMW Australian PGA Championship Prize Money Payout 2024
Cameron Smith is one of a host of big names competing at Royal Queensland Golf Club as the new DP World Tour season gets underway
By Mike Hall Published
-
Tearful Rory McIlroy Reacts To Seve Ballesteros Comparisons After Equalling Spaniard's Order Of Merit Record
In a highly-emotional interview immediately after holing the winning putt at the DP World Tour Championship, McIlroy was asked about equalling Severiano Ballesteros' European Tour Order of Merit record
By Jonny Leighfield Published
-
Rory McIlroy Wins DP World Tour Championship To Clinch Double Victory In Dubai
The World No.3 has landed a sixth Race To Dubai title - capped off by a third DP World Tour Championship victory at Jumeirah Golf Estates' Earth Course
By Jonny Leighfield Last updated