Former world number one, Rory McIlroy is set to end  the season Race to Dubai champion at the DP World Tour Championship next week for the second year in a row. In addition to that, McIlroy will also be ending the year as European Number 1 for the fifth time. 

McIlroy would be crowned champion, whether he wins the final event or not, as he tops the leaderboard with over 2,000 points. His victory is not dependent on the outcome of his performance. 

Only 2,000 points will be up for grabs for next week’s event winner, but even that would not be enough as McIlroy is currently 2,083 points ahead of his closest challenger, Jon Rahm. Although he missed the Nedbank Golf Challenge in South Africa, it still did not offer much advantage to other players as they failed to win enough points at the event to deny him the season’s title. 

Having previously secured the Race to Dubai title in 2012, 2014, 2015, and 2022, McIlroy’s fifth Harry Vardon Trophy places him in esteemed company. This achievement marks a unique distinction, as McIlroy becomes the first player in the Race to Dubai era to clinch the top spot before the final event of the year. In 2012 and 2015, when the Northern Irishman won the tournament, he was the winner of the DP World Tour Championship as well. This time around, his presence at the final event will be a mere formality. 

As McIlroy prepares to add another accolade to his illustrious career, the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai provides an opportunity for him to join Rahm as a three-time winner of the season finale. With this triumphant season, McIlroy continues to hope for a better 2024 season, when, hopefully, he will win his first Masters title or his first Major since 2014. 

Leon Osamor