A welcome 69 for Rory McIlroy in Dubai, which he assessed as “the best I have played in a while”, was immediately overtaken by another subject. It has been that kind of week.
Proof that McIlroy remains nothing if not single-minded arrived when the topic of his 2019 schedule was raised again. On Tuesday, the Northern Irishman suggested he might not retain full European Tour membership next year; a day later Paul McGinley, McIlroy’s former Ryder Cup captain, was among those to offer criticism, saying that he was “finding it hard to understand” and found McIlroy’s thinking “very disappointing”.
The man himself remains unrepentant about causing a stir. “I’d cause all the stirs in the world if I go back to winning majors,” McIlroy insisted. “Look, everyone has to look out for themselves and next year I’m looking out for me. At the same time, I don’t have to make a decision on it [tour membership]. I didn’t say that it was a definite. It’s up in the air. I don’t have to make a decision until May. We’ll see how it goes.
“Everyone looks out for themselves. McGinley is on the European Tour board – he’s involved and he has to protect what he has and I get it. Everyone has to do what’s best for them, and for me next year I’m trying to do what’s best for me to help get back to the best player in the world and try to win majors again.”
McIlroy took a similar stance when asked whether a European Tour rule, which precludes those who have let membership slip at any stage from being a Ryder Cup captain, had presented him with any difficulties. McIlroy is understood to have been perfectly well aware of the regulation in advance of planning US focus for 2019. “It’s 20 years away,” said McIlroy of such a Ryder Cup role.
On matters more mundane, McIlroy’s three under tally at the DP World Tour Championship sees him three adrift of the 18-hole lead claimed by England’s Jordan Smith and Adrián Otaegui of Spain. Danny Willett and Jon Rahm both produced rounds of 67.
Francesco Molinari strengthened his grip on the European Tour’s Race to Dubai title courtesy of a 68. That proved one shot better off than Tommy Fleetwood, whom Molinari has to keep at bay to take delivery of the order of merit for the first time.
“Obviously I’m not trying to think too much about it,” said Molinari of the big prize. “I’m trying to focus on the shot at hand and go hole by hole, shot by shot and do the best that I can. Being the first day, obviously you can have a very poor round and kind of get out of the game. But it was too early, really, to feel any pressure. I’m sure, depending on all the different scenarios on Sunday, it might be different. It’s still golf at the end of the day and I need to do what I’ve done all year so well.”
