In what will mark his final competitive tournament of 2015, Rory McIlroy’s aim is to rid himself of a frustration that has lingered since a summer game of five-a-side football sent his season into a tailspin. The subsequent battle with injury and fruitless quests for victory have not come close to fulfilling the four-times major winner.
Even a third round of 65, statistically McIlroy’s best at this venue, in the DP World Tour Championship, could not return spring to his step. He missed a tiny birdie putt on the 18th and, while that was the most glaring of them, other opportunities to endorse sublime tee-to-green play with a stunning score slipped by.
The 26-year-old’s desire for perfection, as unattainable as that may be, shone through in body language rather than sentiment, yet this emotion followed a round of seven under par. By direct comparison, Justin Rose’s troublesome day at the office resulted in a 78.
McIlroy looked skywards and shook his head before beginning post-round media duties. Perhaps he was in danger of overly accentuating negatives. “Everything was just firing and that’s why I’m walking off the course a little bit disappointed because that 65 could have easily been a 62 or a 61,” he said. “But I’m still in a great position going into tomorrow.”
What can be said with certainty is that a dark cloud will cast a shadow over McIlroy’s off-season if he does not leave here on Monday morning with two trophies as hand luggage.
And so to that big picture. McIlroy trails Andy Sullivan by one in the European Tour’s closing tournament. A live danger to them is Patrick Reed, who at 13 under is three from the lead. McIlroy now has four shots to play with over Danny Willett as the pair battle for the overall Race to Dubai crown.
What McIlroy will lack nothing in is motivation. “It’s the only thing left this year,” he said. “It’s my last round of the year, last round of the season and I want to make the most of it. It would have been nicer to be a shot better going into the last round but I’ve got one more round to go out and give it my all.
“I’d love to finish the year on a high and win the Race to Dubai. I guess, more importantly, win this tournament. It would mean an awful lot just being able to go into the Christmas break on a high note.”
Sullivan will not be lacking in the support that commonly backs an underdog as he bids for what would be the finest achievement of his ever-blossoming career. The Englishman was drawn alongside McIlroy at the Dubai Desert Classic in January as a reward for victory at the South African Open. Fast forward 10 months and Sullivan will have the same company around the course, this time at the business end of proceedings. In between times, it cannot be ignored that Sullivan has won another two events.
“I know Rory is going to have a good run at it tomorrow,” he said. “For me, it’s about taking my chances. I’m just looking forward to it, it is going to be amazing.
“There’s no pressure on me. I’m not expected to win, am I? No one is going to expecting me to beat him tomorrow. So it’s a nice position to be in, one in front. I’m going to go out and play golf and enjoy watching Rory play golf.
“I can’t put it into magnitude because if I do that, then the pressure is on me and I’ll start thinking of winning. It’s just another day on the course. I will try to go round there in as few shots as possible and see what happens.”
Matt Fitzpatrick, surely the leading candidate for European Tour rookie of the year, scored 68 to join Willett on 11 under. An Byeong-hun, who will rival Fitzpatrick for that award, is a shot better off following his third-round 66.
DP World Tour Championship, Jumeirah, UAE
Third round: (GB & Ire unless stated, par 72) (Leading Race to Dubai contenders’ positions before this event in brackets): 200 A Sullivan 66 66 68. 201 R McIlroy 68 68 65 (Race to Dubai: 1). 203 P Reed (US) 70 65 68. 204 E Grillo (Arg) 69 64 71; An Byeong-hun (Kor) 70 68 66 (RTD: 7). 205 D Willett 68 70 67 (RTD: 2); T Jaidee (Tha) 69 67 69; M Fitzpatrick 68 69 68. 206 C Schwartzel (SA) 71 65 70; B Grace (SA) 68 69 69 (RTD: 6). 207 F Molinari (It) 67 71 69; C Wood 68 70 69. 208 V Dubuisson (Fr) 72 67 69; S Kjeldsen (Den) 71 70 67; A Noren (Swe) 71 66 71; M Kaymer (Ger) 66 71 71.
Race to Dubai: McIlroy, who leads Willett by 1,613 points, must finish ahead of or tie with him to win the title.
