Rory McIlroy will this week resume his bid for a sixth Race to Dubai title as he tees it up in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, the first event of the DP World Tour Play-Offs and the penultimate tournament of the season.
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The four-time Major Champion and reigning Race to Dubai Number One arrives at Yas Links with a healthy lead at the top of the Race to Dubai Rankings in Partnership with Rolex as he seeks to join Seve Ballesteros and Colin Montgomerie as the only players to have won the Harry Vardon Trophy at least six times.
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His last victory on the DP World Tour came in the Middle East as he defended his title at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic in January, and his last three wins have also been Rolex Series events, adding the Genesis Scottish Open in 2023 to his Dubai successes.
McIlroy’s nearest challenger on the season-long standings is South Africa’s Thriston Lawrence, who has recorded five runner-up finishes this year. The 27-year-old trails McIlroy by 1,572.39 points and needs to remain within 2000 points by the end of the week to have a chance of becoming the first South African to top the Rankings since Ernie Els in 2004.
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The Top 70 available players on the Race to Dubai Rankings are competing at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship this week, with the Top 50 advancing to next week’s season-ending DP World Tour Championship.
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Also in the field are McIlroy’s Ryder Cup teammates and past champions Tommy Fleetwood and Shane Lowry. Fleetwood’s victory in 2017 kick-started a season in which he won the Race to Dubai and he then defended his title in 2018 before going on to make his Ryder Cup debut later that year.
Lowry’s win at this event in 2019 came six months before becoming a Major Champion, triumphing at The 148th Open at Royal Portrush in July that year.
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Player Quotes
Rory McIlroy: “I’m focussed on this week. Because if I can play well this week, play really well this week, then next week won’t matter, for me, anyway. I’ll still want to go out and play well and try to win the golf tournament, but I know that I can make life a lot easier for myself with a good week this week. Fully focussed on that.
“To win the last two years, and going for my third in a row, trying to go for six overall, it’s a pretty meaningful thing to do. Trying to get to Monty’s number of eight, or maybe surpass, is definitely a goal in the future. But I think right now, just have focus on trying to get that sixth one and go from here.
“I’ve played really well in Abu Dhabi and obviously in Dubai. I’ve been able to get the job done in Dubai few more times than here. But I’ve had plenty of chances.
“I’d love to get a win in Abu Dhabi. I’ve been so close so many times. It would be nice to finally get over the line.”
Thriston Lawrence: “The last two years, I was like 19th and 14th (on the Rankings) going into the last two events. I know Rory is a couple of points ahead but it’s not going to stop me trying to catch him. I know I’m good enough to win both events going into the final.
“It’s always good to see my name up there, and I’m very proud of myself how I kept calm this year, running up five times, not getting a victory. There’s two left and hopefully I can do something special in the last two.”
Shane Lowry: “I’ve had a few weeks off. It’s nice to come back and always nice to come back to the Middle East here and a place where I’ve played well and had some success. It’s part of the world I love having to play golf and having to be here.”
Tommy Fleetwood: “It’s been a lovely time at home. I have enjoyed practise and everything (but) I think four weeks in golfers’ terms without a tournament feels like a year.
“But it’s nice to be back and getting into the rhythm of preparing for a tournament, and beautiful place, great weather, so looking forward to it.”
