Dubai: Danny Willett conceded that Rory McIlroy has the advantage in the Race to Dubai heading into this week’s European Tour season-ending DP World Tour Championship but he is still holding out for an upset.
Money-list leader McIlroy was allowed to skip last week’s event in Shanghai as part of his medical exemption to recover from an ankle injury. This means the Northern Irishman only had to play 12 events as opposed to the necessary 13 this season to stay in the title chase.
And while second-placed Willett supports the European Tour’s reason for allowing McIlroy to miss the BMW Masters in China, he admits the break would have set the Ulsterman up well coming into this week’s final at Jumeirah Golf Estates.
“Certainly he has more of an advantage over the guys who have played all three of the four Final Series events so far,” said the 28-year-old Englishman. “There’s a lot of travelling, a lot of golf, time changes, sleeping patterns, everything like that can really take its toll, especially at the end of a season.
“At the beginning of the season, maybe not, but this is the 52nd week of the season, and I think having had a week off might have benefitted him.
“But, you know, regardless of what he’s been doing in preparation, we’ve still got a goal in mind to go out there and beat him and that’s what we’ve got to look at.”
Would he be annoyed if McIlroy won the Race to Dubai without having to meet his 13-event requirement? “No, I’ve played 22 events and Rory has played 12. If he wins more money than anyone else playing less events, then that’s just good golf.
“It was the first decision European Tour chief executive officer (CEO) Keith Pelley had to make [to allow McIlroy an exemption] since becoming CEO. It was a difficult one to have to make but I think he made the correct decision.
“I appreciate that Rory playing makes a massive difference for the Tour and you have to kind of let him off with the events,” he added.
Looking ahead to the year-ender, where Willett has never finished inside the top 20 in four appearances since its 2009 inception, he said: “I think everybody likes to see an underdog come through. We’re pretty closely matched, within €1,600 [Dh6,270]. This week there’s only one job to do which is win, and if you fail at winning you’ve just got to try and beat Rory.”
