Rory McIlroy conquered his seventh Race to Dubai this Sunday and is just one away from matching Colin Montgomerie at the top of the history. “I want it, of course I want it. It seems within reach. I would love to be the European with the most victories in the ranking.” Hold on tight, as there are twists and turns ahead. We will see Rory play more in Europe next year if he needs to achieve this feat. At the same time, with his seventh title, he has broken the tie with Seve Ballesteros, who remained at six. When speaking of Monty, he did so with determination and desire. When he referred to Seve, his voice began to tremble. There is a real and very exciting connection between the genius of Pedreña and that of Holywood.
In fact, one of the last things Rory did before heading out to play the fourth round of the DP World Tour Championship this Sunday was to speak with Carmen Botín. “I had a chat with his wife and she told me how proud he would be. I already said it on this 18th green last year: he means so much to this tour and to the European Ryder Cup team. We rely heavily on his spirit and his words and everything he represented for European golf. Matching him last year was great, but surpassing him this year… I never dreamed I would get this far, so it’s very special.” Rory has a very close and special relationship with the entire Seve family, Carmen and their three children: Javier, Miguel, and Carmen.
McIlroy spoke these words with his heart still racing at 160 beats per minute, just after losing the playoff to Matthew Fitzpatrick. He wanted to win, but his main goal, the Race to Dubai, was secured. Half an hour later, once the award ceremony was over, Rory calmly addressed the media in the tournament’s press room. There, he referred to Seve again and could barely contain his emotion.
“He’s a beacon of what European golf stands for.”
Rory on Seve as he surpasses his six Order of Merits with his seventh Race to Dubai. #DPWTC | #RolexSeries pic.twitter.com/myiQFFukJA
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) November 16, 2025
“It excites me to talk about him because of what he means to European golf, what he means to any player who has played a Ryder Cup. I believe Seve’s spirit is still alive in the European Tour and the European Ryder Cup team, and he was always my father’s favourite player. He is a symbol of what European golf represents. Also, when I think about my beginnings and the important role my father played and his connection with Seve… Seve was the one who really inspired him to play golf. It’s like a parallel. When I hear Seve’s name, it makes me reflect on my entire journey in this sport and, yes, it’s quite emotional,” he explains.
Speaking precisely about Seve, about the legacy, Rory was particularly pleased this Sunday about the future of European golf. From what he has seen in these last two weeks with Marco Penge, Rasmus Neergaard Petersen, or Ángel Ayora himself. “It’s wonderful that there is so much depth in this tour and that the players I’ve played with this week have had fantastic years to get to this point, especially from the category they started from. Whether it’s earning their card, moving up from the Challenge Tour, or entering the tour from the School. I think that also highlights the upward mobility in terms of the Tour’s meritocracy. If you play golf and get the results, there’s no reason why you can’t go from the Challenge Tour last year to playing in the final match of the DP World Tour this year. That upward mobility and meritocracy are very important.”
