Nov 08, 2018: Rory McIlroy has not given up hope of winning a fourth Race to Dubai title as he aims for two Rolex Series victories to end his 2018 season.
The Northern Irishman tees it up at this week’s Nedbank Golf Challenge hosted by Gary Player at eighth in the Race to Dubai Rankings presented by Rolex, just under two million points behind leader Francesco Molinari.
That means even back-to-back victories would leave McIlroy short should Molinari finish second on his own or tied with one other at next week’s season-ending DP World Tour Championship, Dubai.
With that in mind, McIlroy has nothing to lose over the closing fortnight of the season, and he is looking for a big week at Gary Player Country Club.
The 29 year old is yet to win on the European Tour this season but has five top fives in his 11 appearances, including second places at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic, BMW PGA Championship and Open Championship. He came close at last season’s BMW SA Open hosted by City of Ekurhuleni and is delighted to be back on African soil.
Sergio Garcia, a two-time winner of this prestigious tournament in 2001 and 2003 prior to it becoming an officially sanctioned European Tour event, joins McIlroy in the star-studded field as the most successful Ryder Cup player of all-time after securing his 25th and a half point in Team Europe’s stunning victory at The 2018 Ryder Cup, with his most recent appearance at the Gary Player Country Club five years ago yielding a runner-up finish.
The 38 year old has since become a Major Champion, following his momentous victory at the 2017 Masters Tournament and is set to tee it up for the first time since he secured his third Andalucía Valderrama Masters hosted by the Sergio Garcia Foundation title last month.
European Tour Release
