#360view: European Tour basks in Rory McIlroy's success

Joy Chakravarty 08:11 23/11/2015
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  • Leading the way: Rory McIlroy.

    For the majority of golfers, winning one title a year would be considered a stunning success rate. Such is the depth of the field on any Tour, it’s not easy to win tournaments, and most fans and critics seem to understand that.

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    But the same yardstick does not apply to Rory McIlroy. He is an extremely special talent, and the alarm bells started ringing much before six months had passed from his previous win.

    Of course, the fact that he was out of action for almost six weeks because of an ankle injury can be forgotten. Therefore, his victory at the DP World Tour Championship, where he managed to get the better of a resilient Andy Sullivan late in the final round, will be great news for fans, but also for McIlroy himself.

    At the Turkish Open in Belek, the WGC-HSBC Champions in Shanghai, and of course on the Earth course at Jumeirah Golf Estates this past week – the three tournaments that McIlroy played in this year’s Final Series – you could sense the growing frustration in the 26-year-old.

    McIlroy kept insisting he was almost back to his best, and just his putting was keeping him away from victory. Clearly, he was telling the truth. In Dubai, his putter started behaving and the results were there for everyone to see. 

    There were several 320-plus yard drives right down the centre of the fairway during his four rounds, but what really won him a second DP World Tour Championship title was the stunning putt he made for bogey on the 17th hole on Sunday. That was easily the most crucial shot out of the 267 he played over the four days. 

    The advent of Jordan Spieth and Jason Day, and the form that they both have shown in 2015, increased the pressure on McIlroy. He lost his world No. 1 ranking and has generally been in their shadow since his comeback from injury. But Sunday’s victory sends out a strong signal to them that he means business, and this also augurs well for next year.

    Of course, one man who would be happier than McIlroy is European Tour chief executive Keith Pelley. One of the first decisions he had to make after taking over from George O’Grady a few months ago was to grant special permission to the two-time European No1 to keep his membership and play the DP World Tour Championship despite his inability to meet the minimum required number of events.

    This win vindicates the faith the Tour has in its most marketable superstar.

    While McIlroy wrapped up the Race to Dubai after a lively battle with closest challenger Danny Willett, there was a similar tussle witnessed for the Rookie of the Year honour between Byeong-hun An and Matthew Fitzpatrick.

    An is just 24, while Fitzpatrick is 21. And they are just two prominent names among several players high up in the Race to Dubai who are remarkably young.

    No. 2 Danny Willett, No. 5 Shane Lowry and No. 8 Sullivan are all 28. The presence of so many younger players near the top of the Race to Dubai, led by a 26-year-old McIlroy, is a clear indication of the rude health of the European Tour.

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