Rory McIlroy has won four times in his professional career but here’s an interesting statistic.

Since breaking through to capture a maiden professional victory in the 2009 Dubai Desert Classic the Northern Irishman has teed-up 23 occasions on a Sunday in a European Tour counting event either leading or lying within five strokes of the lead.

But on just two occasions, and that was last year’s U.S. Open and UBS Hong Kong Open, has McIlroy tasted success.

This week’s Omega Dubai Desert Classic was another example of McIlroy getting himself in contention for victory, as he achieved with opening rounds of 66 and 65 but then struggling on the weekend to repeat those scores in carding last two rounds of 72 and 71.

McIlroy had spent some 90 minutes on the range on Saturday night working on his driving while he was also observed in conversation with his coach,  Michael Bannon.

McIroy quickly left Dubai on Sunday night and headed the short journey to Doha where he was catching up with girlfriend, Caroline Wozinacki who is competing in this week’s Qatar Open.

McIlroy skipped last week’s shortened Qatar Masters to remain in Dubai but he’s taken his golf clubs to the Qatari capital to work on his game before heading to Arizona for the $US 8.5m WGC – Accenture Match Play Championship.

“I’m a little disappointed considering the position I was in going to the weekend,” he said.

“I just got frustrated on the green but I’m more pleased how I drove the ball today.  I sorted that out last night on the range, and in speaking to Michael (Bannon –coach), because I must have hit balls for maybe an hour-and-a-half. 

Rory McIlroy not enjoying a good time on Sundays. (Photo - Stuart Adams/www.golftourimages.com)

“So that was nice and it will be nice now not to play on Bermuda greens for one week so I’ve got a week off and then three good weeks at the Match-Play, the Honda and Doral.

“But the greens today were definitely slower than they had been for the previous three days and I don’t know the reason for that.”

So after a second in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and a fifth in the Dubai Desert Classic, McIlroy heads to another desert like course in the Doha Golf Club for practice before then crossing the Atlantic for yet another event on a desert golf course.

“The golf course in Arizona while similar to the three we play in the Middle East has more elevation so the golf ball is going to travel a little farther,” he said.

“But then that is not the case in the morning as it can get a little chilly and cold and it’s not to the afternoon when it warms up that the golf ball can go a long way there.

“It should be good as I got on a nice run in ’09 and got myself into the quarter finals.

“So it should be a nice week as we don’t get to play match-play that often.”

McIlroy indicated he is planning to arrive at the course next Monday night.

And while he chases his girfriend to Doha this week, Wozinacki will be back in Dubai next week to defend her Dubai Open title.