Rory McIlroy has had a rollercoaster season, with more lows than highs.
His loss at Pinewood No. 2, where he missed two putts within five feet of each other on the 16th and 18th holes, immediately comes to mind. The same goes for his loss at the British Open, where windy weather in Ayrshire wreaked havoc on his mind and game. Another crucial punch to the gut came in the final round of the Olympics, when he hit a bad wedge on the 15th hole that landed in a pond, ruining his chances of a podium finish. He has also experienced heartbreak at Royal Down and Wentworth in the past few months.
It's been a painful year for McIlroy, with a lot of LIV Golf-related hubbub happening off the course and, unfortunately, his personal life.
However, the Northern Irishman came close to sealing a sixth Dubai title on the DP World Tour, an impressive achievement that rivals Seve Ballesteros. Only Colin Montgomerie has received more Medals of Honor, eight times.
McIlroy's season began in January with a runner-up finish to Tommy Fleetwood at the Dubai Invitational – another gut-wrenching finish, if I might add – and then he finished the following week Bounce back by winning the Hero Dubai Desert Classic for the fourth time. McIlroy has five top-five finishes in six other events on the DP World Tour this year, the exception being the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship where he tied for 25th.
“It's a huge honor,” McIlroy said Wednesday.
“It's really a huge honor. Every time I come back and play [DP World Tour]I’m proud to be a member and proud to be able to support in any way I can. If I win the Race to Dubai for the sixth time, that would be a really cool achievement for me. “
McIlroy was one shot off Frenchman Antoine Rozner's lead heading into this week's 36-hole DP World Tour Championship. McIlroy shot a 67 in the first round and a 3-under 69 on the second day, currently at 8-under par. However, given his huge advantage in the Race to Dubai standings, he knows the title will be his for the entire season. So he will be hoping to cap off what has been a crazy year with another victory on the elite circuit of the Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates.
“I just want to win golf tournaments,” McIlroy said Friday.
“[That’s] My focus. I would love to get my third title at Earth Stadium and if I can do that, everything else will be great. “
The Northern Irishman got off to a strong start on Friday, with four birdies in his first seven holes. But two bogeys on the 8th and 10th holes completely curbed his momentum.
“I hit the ball out of the fairway on three holes in a row and made two bogeys, No. 8, No. 9 and No. 10,” McIlroy explained.
“Stabilized the situation a little bit, but lost some chances on the 14th and 15th.”
There was plenty of trouble on the final three holes of the Earth Course, but McIlroy birdied the 18th in the final stretch to get to 1 under.
Still, after teeing off, McIlroy felt like he had found water on No. 18, the same hole Tyrrell Hatton caught on Friday. But McIlroy was lucky to stay out of trouble, with his ball stopping just feet from the penalty area. He then hit his second shot on the green and two-putted for birdie.
“It's nice to get a birdie and at least shoot 60 after the opening round,” McIlroy said.
“But yeah, look, I'm comfortable in this place and I've had success before. So I'm enjoying the opportunity for the weekend.”
He should do this.
Could this week's victory in Dubai avenge all the despair he suffered earlier this year? Absolutely not. But it will give him a much-needed boost heading into 2025, a season in which he hopes to rival Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele.
A season-ending victory would also give McIlroy plenty of reason to smile, but unfortunately, he hasn't done so often over the past 10 months.
Jack Milko is the golf staff writer for SB Nation's Playing Through. Be sure to check it out @_PlayingThrough Get more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jackmilko as well as.
