Northern Ireland star Rory McIlroy is aiming for a record-equalling eighth Race to Dubai title in Dubai. (Photo: Getty/DP World Tour)
Rory McIlroy is drawing on past success at the Earth course as he bids to match Colin Montgomerie’s record of eight Race to Dubai titles at this week’s DP World Tour Championship.
Chasing a fifth successive season-long crown, McIlroy arrives at Jumeirah Golf Estates having narrowed the gap on leader Eugenio Chacarra with a third-place finish at last week’s Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship.
“I'm very excited to be back here, and very excited to be in contention for the eighth,” said McIlroy. “I made some ground up last week, maybe not as much as I wanted, but I felt like it was a step in the right direction.
“Getting back to a place where I've played well and had a lot of success, even last year in the playoff with Matt (Fitzpatrick) it's been a course that's been very good to me over the years. I have a lot of experience on it and a lot of experience up at the top end of the leaderboard. Experience going out in that final group on a Thursday.
“Excited to do it all over again, and you know, try to play well enough to give myself a real chance at the weekend.”
McIlroy has had another year to remember, capturing a second successive Green Jacket at the Masters in April and recording multiple top 10 finishes, including a runner-up finish at the BMW PGA Championship.
Now returning to a venue where he boasts three victories – the latest in 2024 – and 10 other top 10s in 15 previous starts, the world number two will have a chance at making more history – he is currently 533.93 points behind Chacarra.
“I'll always remember the first (Race to Dubai title) pretty well because of how I did it,” added the Northern Ireland star. “I birdied the last five holes in a row, I think. Justin Rose was making a big push. He finished really well. So that was a cool way to win.
“I had a nice battle with Andy Sullivan in 2015. That was a cool day, as well. And then the last few years, it's been -- I played well much earlier in the year where I've maybe not had to play at my absolute best to get it done, and this week's a little bit different.
“But I do go back to the first one. I think I was second in The Race to Dubai in 2009. And then I played pretty well in '10 and '11, not close enough to get it done, but to get that first one in '12, I'll remember that.”
While McIlroy will likely need at least a top four finish and other results to go his way to claim an eighth title, his record at the Earth course means he comes in with confidence about his chances in this position.
Last week's winner Jon Rahm catapulted himself into Race to Dubai contention once again with his record sixth Rolex Series title in Abu Dhabi.
The Spaniard, who took the European Number One crown in 2019, also has an enviable record over the Earth Course with three victories, a tied fourth and tied fifth place finish in his five previous appearances.
“Coming in with a little extra incentive,” said Rahm. “I really didn't think even winning last week I was going to have a chance to possibly win the Race to Dubai at all. So obviously gives this week a little bit more meaning than it did before.
“I've played really good golf this year. It's just that unfortunately some of my not-so-good weeks happened to be in the Majors. Besides the PGA where I had a decent chance of winning, the other three Majors, I didn't do a good enough job.”
The two-time Major winner now enters the season-ending event in sixth place in the rankings, knowing that another win in Dubai could be enough to get his hands on the Harry Vardon trophy for the second time.
Patrick Reed is aiming to finish the season as he started, with victory in Dubai. Currently sitting third in the Rankings, Reed kick-started his bid to become just the second American to take the season-long honours with his maiden Rolex Series victory at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic in January.
Reed is aiming to go one better than his second-place Race to Dubai finish in 2018 - the year he claimed the Masters title - and the five-time DP World Tour winner is ready for the sprint to the end of season finish line on Sunday.
“The mindset coming in obviously is it's a sprint. I mean, we have one tournament, kind of have to go out there with Rory and Eugenio ahead of me. You have to think the only way to win the whole thing is by winning this golf tournament,” said Reed.
“So, you have one opportunity. Go out there and try and get it done, and that's kind of the mindset going into this. Just put it down, step down on the gas and get going.
“The body feels great. My body is a hundred percent, so there's no issues there. I'm at a golf course I'm really comfortable at. I've had success at this place. The game feels good and ready to go. Just kind of itching for Thursday to get here.”