The European Tour’s grand finale takes place this week in Dubai and that is where Rory McIlroy feels like he’s at home.
He won the Dubai Desert Classic early in the season. He scorched the Earth course in 22-under par.
Now he’s back and is the overwhelming favorite to win the overall title in the Race To Dubai, the European Tour’s equivalent of the FedEx Cup on the PGA Tour.
And yes, once again he’s playing the Earth course at the Jumeriah Golf Estates, site of this week DP World Tour Championship.
“I obviously know the course very well,” McIlroy said in a major understatement. “And Dubai is a bit of a second home to me plus I’m going for the double after winning there earlier in the season.”
It will be a chance for McIlroy to salvage what he earlier this season described as a “lost year.”
At the time he was down about missing the Open Championship at St. Andrews where he was the defending champion. A badly turned ankle from an informal soccer-go-round with his buddies was the reason. He was back in time for the PGA but he finished an uninspired 17th in the year’s final major.
It was a season of no majors for Rory while he watched Jordan Spieth win the Masters and U.S. Open and Zach Johnson sneak away with the Open Championship followed by Jason Day capturing the PGA.
Spieth and Day blew past McIlroy, dropping him to third in the world rankings.
When he tees off on Thursday, all Rory has to do is beat Danny Willett to capture the Race To Dubai. But he no doubt has his sights set higher, especially on a course where he can dominate the competition as he did earlier in the season.
McIlroy warmed up for this event with two appearances in the PGA Tour’s fall series. He finished 26th at the Frys and 11th at the HSBC Champions, the final WGC event of the year that also counts for the European Tour standings.
The rest of the field will be motivated as well. This event carries a jumbo purse by European standards — the equivalent of $8 million, U.S.
“I’m looking forward to it,” McIlroy concluded. “I always enjoy it there and I’ve obviously done well there before so I just need to go there and try to win. Hopefully that will be enough.”
It will be more than enough.
