- Title: It's not going to happen - McIlroy on winning Race to Dubai
- Date: 15th November 2016
- Summary: DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (NOVEMBER 15, 2016) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** JUMEIRAH GOLF ESTATES AS IT PREPARES TO HOST THE DP WORLD TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP RORY MCILROY ON PRACTICE ROUND OTHER PLAYERS ON COURSE RORY MCILROY ON PRACTICE ROUND REPORTERS ARRIVING FOR RORY MCILROY NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) RORY MCILROY, ASKED ABOUT DEFENDING HIS TITLE, SAYS: "Yeah, looking forward to the week. Feel like my game is in pretty good shape. I've played this golf course pretty well in the past, and hopefully can play it just as well, if not better this week, would be a good way to finish the year on a high and get a victory and lift the trophy and hopefully make the turkey taste a bit better at Christmas." NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) RORY MCILROY, ASKED ABOUT CHANCES OF WINNING RACE TO DUBAI, SAYS: "Mathematically I can win, but it's not going to happen. I wouldn't hold my breath. I think the three guys that are ahead of me are playing very good golf, especially the two Swedes, Henrik and Alex. Alex with what he's done over the past few weeks; Henrik has had a fantastic year, and so has Danny, obviously. So I don't expect those guys to play badly this week." PHOTOGRAPHER (SOUNDBITE) (English) RORY MCILROY, ASKED ABOUT WINNING TOURNAMENT AND SO BECOMING WORLD NUMBER ONE, SAYS: "It is. It's a big incentive for me. It's been a while since I've been in that spot. So yeah, that's really -- you know, the last few years, I knew if I won this tournament, I would win the Race to Dubai. now I know if I win this tournament, I'll finish the year at world number one. So it's a big incentive for me to try and get that back." REPORTERS LEAVING DANNY WILLETT PRACTISING ON PUTTING GREEN/DRIVING RANGE NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) DANNY WILLETT, ASKED ABOUT WINNING RACE TO DUBAI, SAYS: "At the end of the day, I mean, I'd love to finish first on the Race to Dubai at least once in my life. If I were to finish second for the rest of my life, it's not that you're playing bad golf, you've had a massively consistent year. But unfortunately we are coming up against Rory, Stenson, Sergio, all the guys, Alex, who are playing great golf, and to be able to finish number one from how good the fields are that we play against these days, you know, I think it's a very difficult task." PHOTOGRAPHER (SOUNDBITE) (English) DANNY WILLETT, ASKED ABOUT WINNING THE TOURNAMENT, SAYS: "It usually is the guy who wins this event wins, Rory won, Henrik won, Westy won; there's obviously a lot more points weighing on this event. it is a situation where like I said, if you win, you win. It's a good place to be." REPORTERS LEAVING
- Embargoed: 30th November 2016 14:27
- Keywords: Rory McIlroy Danny Willett Dubai World Tour Championship
- Location: DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
- City: DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
- Country: United Arab Emirates
- Topics: Golf,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA00158K1K5B
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Four-times major winner Rory McIlroy says he has effectively given up on his chances of finishing the season as European number one at this week's World Tour Championship in Dubai.
The 27-year-old is chasing his third consecutive Race to Dubai European money-list title but recognises that Swedes Henrik Stenson and Alex Noren and Danny Willett of England are in a better position.
McIlroy is fourth on the list and needs to triumph in Dubai with Stenson finishing outside the top 45, Willett failing to make the top five and Noren the top two.
"Mathematically, I can win but it's not going to happen, I wouldn't hold my breath," the Northern Irishman told reporters on Tuesday (November 15).
"I think the three guys that are ahead of me are playing very good golf especially Henrik and Alex. I don't expect those guys to play badly this week so I'm just concentrating on trying to win the golf tournament."
A more realistic goal for McIlroy is to jump from second to first in the world rankings, displacing Australian Jason Day at the top.
"Now I know if I win this tournament, I'll finish the year at world number one. So it's a big incentive for me to try and get that back," he said.
"It would be a good way to finish the year on a high and get a victory and lift the trophy and hopefully make the turkey taste a bit better at Christmas," McIlroy said, to laughter.
McIlroy has a good record in the European Tour's season-ending event with two wins and only one finish outside the top 10 in seven visits.
Also talking to reporters was Danny Willett, who has gone through a difficult spell since landing a surprise first major victory at the U.S. Masters in April.
The Englishman has managed just two top-10 finishes since his win at Augusta but a tie for 11th in the Nedbank Challenge in South Africa last week has given him extra belief for this week's season-ending event.
"I'd love to finish first on the Race to Dubai at least once in my life," he said. "If I were to finish second for the rest of my life, it's not that you're playing bad golf, you've had a massively consistent year. But unfortunately we are coming up against Rory, Stenson, Sergio, all the guys, Alex, who are playing great golf, and to be able to finish number one from how good the fields are that we play against these days, you know, I think it's a very difficult task."
Willett must finish among the top-five in Dubai to have any hope of dislodging number one Stenson, the British Open champion, and he said the best way was to win the tournament.
"It usually is the guy who wins this event wins, Rory won, Henrik won, Westy (Lee Westwood) won; there's obviously a lot more points weighing on this event. it is a situation where like I said, if you win, you win. It's a good place to be." - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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