He might have made some new swing adjustments, however he’s nonetheless the identical previous Rory McIlroy.
The Northern Irishman carded an 8-under 64 on Sunday on the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, hovering up the leaderboard to 21-under total. He finally completed in a tie for third and three strokes behind Paul Waring, who birdied the seventeenth and 18th holes to drag away late.
His third-place end additionally awarded him 465.33 Race to Dubai factors, additional cementing his spot atop the rankings going into subsequent week’s DP World Tour Championship. McIlroy now has 4,997.66 factors total, and South African Thirston Lawrence, who’s in second, has 3,212.64 on the season. However because the winner of subsequent week’s occasion in Dubai wins 2,000 factors, McIlroy must end near final to not win his sixth Order of Advantage. Lawrence would additionally need to win outright, as he presently faces a deficit of 1785.02 factors. No one aside from Lawrence can steal McIlroy’s thunder since everybody else is greater than 2,000 factors behind McIlroy.
“Each shot counts at this second in time, and I used to be glad to make the 4 on the final and not less than give myself half an opportunity at this event this week but additionally give myself just a little bit extra of a cushion going into Dubai subsequent week as nicely,” McIlroy mentioned.
“I do really feel in an excellent place. I noticed Thriston [Lawrence] making a cost immediately, and I used to be conserving one eye on the leaderboard and taking a look at what he was doing. I noticed he posted 20.”
Like McIlroy, Lawrence fired an 8-under 64 to complete in a tie for sixth with Tommy Fleetwood and a pair of Frenchmen, Ugo Coussad and Antonie Raznor.
“Simply points-wise, I’m simply wanting on the leaderboard,” Lawrence mentioned.
“I knew that was essential simply to get a high 5 or high six, not less than, simply relying on how the fellows completed.”
Sadly for the South African, McIlroy bested him by a stroke, which elevated his Race to Dubai lead by greater than 200 factors. So except one thing loopy occurs subsequent week in Dubai, McIlroy will take dwelling the Harry Vardon Trophy once more.
Jack Milko is a golf workers author for SB Nation’s Taking part in By. Make sure to try @_PlayingThrough for extra golf protection. You possibly can observe him on Twitter @jack_milko as nicely.
