Rory McIlroy (-12), Rasmus Hojgaard (-12) and Antoine Rozner (-12) are the three co-leaders of the DP World Tour Championship, the final of the European circuit, after the third round. The winner must emerge tomorrow from these three candidates and three others: Jesper Svensson (-10), Joaquín Niemann (-10) and Tyrrell Hatton (-9).
There shouldn’t be much room for many more alternatives on an Earth course (Jumeirah Golf Estates, Dubai) that is probably tougher than ever (what a fierce rough) and where the best scorecard of the week so far is a 65, only one, which Rozner signed on Friday. If we add to this that the wind is going to blow even more on Sunday than it did this Saturday… It seems more than utopian that the victory in the Race to Dubai could fall into the hands of Thriston Lawrence (-4), the only one who could take it away from McIlroy this week, since the South African needed to win and is going to start eight strokes behind the three co-leaders.
Moreover, if Lawrence were to produce that score that doesn’t seem to exist (a 64, a 63…), he would also need Rory to finish outside the top ten, which also doesn’t seem likely to happen. So, allow the audacity to get ahead of the work and leave this matter settled, unofficially awarding the Northern Irishman his sixth victory in the DP World Tour ranking, with which he would equal Seve and be two behind Monty. Honour and glory for Rory, beyond the monetary bonus of three million euros, which certainly won’t upset him, but at this stage of his career was neither a goal nor the main reason for his presence.
Now that he’s at it, McIlroy will want the double. Victory in the Race and in the tournament. After all, there he is, at the top and as the main candidate. It may seem easy to appear Sunday after Sunday with chances of victory, but it isn’t, not even for these great players, especially if one doesn’t stop trying throughout the year. Precisely, Rory opened 2024 coming out in that Dubai Invitational one stroke behind the leader on Sunday, to finish second; and immediately, the following week, he came out two strokes behind the lead in the Dubai Desert Classic, to end up winning it… Along the way, throughout the year, there were many other Sundays where he came out with chances of victory, greater or lesser, but chances nonetheless: Valero Texas, Wells Fargo, U.S. Open, in the Scottish Open, in the Games, in the Irish Open, in Wentworth and even in Abu Dhabi, last week.
Honour and glory for Rory, whatever the final victorious balance, because there he is, meddling so many times at the top of the leaderboard throughout the year, year after year, and it’s been seventeen now. (Let’s see: we already saw this guy play the last European circuit final held in Valderrama, the one in 2008, at just 19 years of age).
There are other very exciting stories that will conclude tomorrow. For example, it remains to be seen if Rozner is capable of pulling off the ‘sorpasso’ and securing the PGA Tour card, in true Matthieu Pavon style, adding a golden touch to what is probably the best year in the history of French golf. Or if Tom McKibbin (-8), the young Northern Irish talent, is also capable of doing it. It could be, you see, a third reason for celebration for Rory.
