Rory McIlroy Feels Safe, Chases Eighth Race to Dubai — SkimNews
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- Rory McIlroy said he feels no personal safety risk at the Abu Dhabi Championship, citing the UAE’s defense systems and saying he would still feel safe even if the airspace closed and he were stuck there.
- DP World Tour kept the back-to-back Abu Dhabi and Dubai season-ending events on schedule amid increased regional security concerns; deadly attacks took place in neighboring Saudi Arabia last month.
- Rory McIlroy said he stays in close contact with the tour and would defer to its safety assessment, but still considers the reward of chasing an eighth Race to Dubai title worth any risk he perceives.
- Race to Dubai standings have McIlroy third, about 1,000 points behind Eugenio Chacarra and 330 behind Patrick Reed; an Abu Dhabi win carries 1,500 points, while the World Tour Championship winner receives 2,000.
- Matt Fitzpatrick said in September that switching the Dubai finale to another country was a “no-brainer,” while noting he is neither a sponsor nor paying the bills; he is not playing Abu Dhabi but can enter Dubai’s 50-man field if he chooses.
- Colin Montgomerie holds the record McIlroy is trying to match with eight Race to Dubai titles, previously called the Order of Merit.
Why it matters: McIlroy’s public backing is notable because the No. 2-ranked player is roughly 330 points behind Patrick Reed and 1,000 behind Eugenio Chacarra. An Abu Dhabi win is worth 1,500 points, followed by 2,000 for the World Tour Championship winner, so his participation is tied directly to an eighth Race to Dubai title.
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