In a dream end to a dream European Tour season the world’s two top-ranked players will go head-to-head in the final round of the final event of the 2012 Race to Dubai season.
And Rory McIlroy is fiercely determined to underscore his World No. 1 stature in defeating World No. 2 Luke Donald after both finished the third round three clear of their rivals on 17-under par.
Golf’s top two ranked players to go head-to-head in the final event of the season. (Photo – www.europeantour.com)
McIlroy stormed home on day three of the event to be five under par of his closing eight holes in a round of 66 to match the same score as Donald.
McIlroy will be striving to capture his fifth victory this season and win the Dubai event for a first time while Donald is out to clinch a fourth success and back-to-back victories following his triumph a week earlier in Japan.
It will be only the second time McIlroy and Donald have gone head-to-head in a European Tour event with the first occasion being five years ago the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at St. Andrews.
McIlroy, competing in just his third event as a pro, wrapped up his Tour card when Scotland’s Paul Lawrie bogeyed the last to present McIlroy with third place on his own.
Donald, then ranked 17th in the world, ended the day five shots and 20 places adrift of McIlroy who was ranked a lowly 233rd.
“It’s very important for me now to win tomorrow and to underline I am Number One in the world heading into next year,” said McIlroy.
“Of course, no matter happens I will still be No. 1 on the rankings but it will be nice to put an exclamation mark on it, if you want.
“So it’s very important as I really want to end the year with a win.
“Every time that I’ve went out with a chance to win, I’ve played well; and whether that means I’ve won or been or been beaten like I was in China against Peter Hanson, I’ve still played well and given myself a good chance and that’s what I want to do now in my last event of the season.”
