World No. 1 Rory McIlroy has set his sights on ending his best-ever season on a high by finishing the year as European No. 1.
Despite four weeks of competition in the States ahead of the Ryder Cup, McIlroy continues to lead the Race to Dubai despite now being under serious threat from ‘Amazing’ Branden Grace of South Africa.
Grace captured his fourth European Tour win this year in leading from start-to-finish to capture the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship last Sunday at St. Andrews.
World No. 1 Rory McIlroy looking to be flying high in top spot at end of Race to Dubai. (Photo – Fran Caffrey/www.golffile.ie)
Victory propelled the affable South African into third place on the Race to Dubai trailing Euro 348, 412 behind second place Justin Rose of England and Euro 785,746 adrift of McIlroy, and with some six weeks remaining in the 2012 European Tour season.McIlroy is returning to competition at this week’s elite Turkish Airlines World Golf Final in Belek, Turkey.
However he will not return to regular European Tour competition until next fortnight’s $US 7m BMW Asian Masters in Shanghai where he will face both Rose and the in-form Grace.
The trio will then compete a week later in a similar $US 7m prize purse for the WGC – HSBC Champions title at Mission Hills in Shenzhen.
But after a season in which he’s won a second Major and set the world alight in winning three other events on the PGA Tour, including two within the space of three events in the FedEx Cup Play Off Series, McIlroy is determined to end his fifth full year in the pro ranks on a high in being crowned European No. 1.
“The big goal for me in what is left in the season is to keep the level up and try to win the Race to Dubai,” he said in Turkey.
“I have a little bit of a lead at the moment and I came so close in ’09 finishing second behind Lee (Westwood) and then came close again by finishing third last year behind Luke (Donald).
“But if I can play the next few weeks the way I have been and finish off the Race to Dubai successfully it would be a great way to cap off my great season.”
And after Grace remarked last Sunday in St. Andrews that he now has McIlroy in his sights, the Northern Irishman responded: “Branden has played great golf this year to win four times and I actually watched him on TV winning in St. Andrews.
“He was very impressive down the stretch especially after having that wobble near the turn, so he’s playing great.
“But we still have some big events coming up with some big prize money, so there’s a lot can happen and all I am focussed on doing is finishing off the season as well as I can.
“And if I can play as good as I can hopefully I can wrap-up the Race to Dubai title.”
