A Truly Special Season - Rory McIlroy

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Rory McIlroy has described being crowned as European Tour No 1 for a second time as "truly special" as he reflected on a memorable 2014 campaign.

The world No 1 was confirmed as the winner of the Race to Dubai following Brook's Koepka's victory at the Turkish Airlines Open, the penultimate tournament of the European Tour's Final Series.

Closest rival Henrik Stenson closed with a 64 to claim outright third place in Antalya, finishing three shots adrift of Koepka, but the Swede is a distant 2,726,514 points behind McIlroy with only 1,666,600 on offer to the winner of next week's season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.

McIlroy, 25, also added another record to his collection as he became the youngest player in history to capture the Harry Vardon Trophy twice having claimed his first in 2012.

The Northern Irishman ended an 18-month title drought with his victory at the BMW PGA Championship in May, and he returned to the top of the world rankings with a stunning run of form in July and August.

He captured his first Open Championship crown at Royal Liverpool before winning the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and the PGA Championship, his fourth major victory.

"This has obviously been the best season of my career by a long way, and to win The Race to Dubai for the second time really is something truly special"

“This has obviously been the best season of my career by a long way, and to win The Race to Dubai for the second time really is something truly special," said McIlroy, who will return to action in Dubai next week after taking time off to prepare for a court case involving his former management company.

"That four-week spell over the summer, from The Open to the US PGA Championship, would have to be the best golf of my life, so I feel like I’ve really earned The Race to Dubai.

“Winning it for the first time two years ago was a fantastic feeling, but I feel like I’m now a more complete player and my all-round game has moved to another level. I’ve put in a lot of hard work this season, with my game and my fitness, so it’s nice to get the rewards at the end of it.

“In some ways the pressure is off next week, but I’ll fight very hard to end the year on a high with another victory. I’ve a great record in this tournament, and in Dubai generally, having secured my first European Tour win there in 2009.

“Finishing with five birdies to win the DP World Tour Championship in 2012 is right up there with my best performances on The European Tour, so every time I go back to Jumeirah Golf Estates, it always brings back some happy memories.

“It’s a great tournament to finish the season with, and if I can notch up another win it really will complete an amazing year. I’m looking forward to getting out on the golf course and feeling that competitive edge again.”

European Tour chief executive George O'Grady added: “During another season of incredible success for the European Tour, with our members winning three of the four major championships, it says something about his outstanding form that Rory ends the year as the dominant player not only on our Tour, but on the world stage.

“Given the extraordinary success he has achieved, it is only right that the season should culminate in Rory winning the Harry Vardon Trophy for the second time, and it would be no surprise to anyone if he were to end his campaign with another win in Dubai next week.

"He is a credit both to himself and the European Tour, and a most deserving winner of The Race to Dubai.”

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Turkey Action for Darren Clarke

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Darren Clarke, a five-time Ryder Cup winner as a player and two-time victor as vice captain, tees off in the Turkish Airlines Open by the Ministry of Youth and Sport.

Shane Lowry also plays this week in the searsh for a place the world top 50.

In all nine members of Europe’s triumphant team from Gleneagles in the star-studded field, there will be a distinct Ryder Cup feel to the US$7 million event.

Sergio Garcia, Henrik Stenson, Martin Kaymer, defending champion Victor Dubuisson, Jamie Donaldson, Thomas Bjørn, Stephen Gallacher, Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter will all lock horns at the Montgomerie Maxx Royal in Belek, Antalya, from November 13-16.

The links to golf’s greatest team event do not end there, however, with Miguel Angel Jiménez, who served as a vice captain to Paul McGinley at Gleneagles, also teeing it up along with the 2010 captain and course designer Colin Montgomerie. 

Also confirmed for the tournament is England’s Luke Donald, a four-time winner of The Ryder Cup.

Ahmet Ali Ağaoğlu, president of the Turkish Golf Federation, said: “We are so proud that such a strong field will be playing at the Turkish Airlines Open.

“The Ryder Cup caught the imagination of the golfing world and beyond, so it is a big honour to have so many of the players that showed such quality and passion for the sport together again in Turkey.

“We believe that the depth of quality in the field reflects the growing importance of this tournament in the golfing calendar.”

Louis Oosthuizen, the 2010 Open Champion, and two-time Major winner John Daly will also feature in the penultimate event of The 2014 European Tour campaign.

The 78 players participating will be battling it out for a prize fund of US $7million.

The top 60 players in The Race to Dubai rankings after the Turkish Airlines Open will then move on to the United Arab Emirates for the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai, the final tournament on The 2014 European Tour International Schedule.

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Irish Trail Shanghai Duo

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Padraig Harrington eagled the par five seventh on Saturday at the BMW Masters presented by SRE Group and reached the turn four under par at Lake Malaren. Only to sign for a two under par seventy after the Dubliner dropped two shots on the final holes to retain a share of fourteenth place ahead of Sunday. 

Rory McIlroy signed for a 71 with a double bogey on the final hole scratching four consecutive birdies immediately after the turn. The Holywood golfer is also in a tie for 14th place on 2 under - and six adrift of the leaders.

  

Paul McGinley finished his third round two over par overall carding a two under 70 in Shanghai, with four birdies and two bogeys the colours on his card.

Shane Lowry was also two under par in 34th place with birdies, bogeys and eagle three on the seventh and a double on the thirteenth the story of his round.

Graeme McDowell went around in two 38's with five bogeys only saved by a birdie on the par 3 fourth to limit the damage. He drops tp 36th place on +4.

Meanwhile behind in 57th place Henrik Stenson got the worst end of the day with  two doubles and a triple bogey on the par 3 seventeenth talking its toll on his round of 79.

In contrast Rafael Cabrera-Bello carded a flawless five under par 67 to catch Luke Guthrie at the top of the BMW Masters presented by SRE Group leaderboard.

Cabrera-Bello, a two-time European Tour winner, birdied the first two holes of his third round and kept that momentum going with birdies at the seventh and 11th at Lake Malaren.

A brilliant tee shot at the short 17th left a three footer for birdie, and after converting that the 29 year old got up and down from sand at the last to set the clubhouse target at eight under par.

That was still one behind Guthrie at the time, but the American took three shots on the final green – the first of them a pitch onto a bank that ran six feet past – and bogeyed for a level par 72.

“Really happy to keep playing good and happy, also, to put a good round together and be in contention tomorrow,” said Cabrera-Bello, who shot to prominence when he matched The European Tour’s lowest round of 60 to win the 2009 Austrian Open.

“I started with two birdies today, which was good. It gave me confidence straightaway, and then I just stayed calm, one shot at a time, and today it worked. 

“I'm happy, I'm proud, I'm confident and I'm enjoying the tournament so far, so hopefully tomorrow I can keep those feelings and take them on to the golf course with me, go out there, play my best and enjoy.”

Guthrie led by four at the halfway stage of the first event of The Race to Dubai’s Final Series, and held the same margin when he chipped in for birdie at the eighth.

The 23 year old came up short of the ninth green and missed the putting surface with his tee shot at the 12th for bogeys either side of a gain at the tenth.

A birdie at the long 13th followed, but Guthrie found sand at the 15th and 16th before finding an awkward spot on the final green as the field closed in.

“At the beginning the week, if I was tied going into the fourth round tied for the lead, I'd have taken it,” said the World Number 85.

“As today went it was a little frustrating. When I made a couple birdies, I seemed to step on my own foot a few times. Like at 18, I didn't hit my greatest shot obviously, but wish I didn't have to chip it on the green to get it close. 

“Overall I was hitting it well, putting well, and just let a few shots get away toward the end and that's never fun really. I'm tied for the lead going into tomorrow and I'm excited.”

Cabrera-Bello’s compatriot Gonzalo Fernandez-Castaño recovered from hitting his tee shot into the water at the 17th with a fine approach to six feet at the last for a 67 that leaves him one off the pace in third, with Gregory Bourdy in fourth on six under.

The Frenchman holed a remarkable 100 foot putt for birdie at the ninth and held his nerve from 12 feet for par at the last to shoot 67.

Race to Dubai leader Henrik Stenson shot a 79 that left the door ajar for his rivals in the battle to become European Number One to make inroads into his advantage.

Simon Dyson's chances of victory had earlier disappeared when he was disqualified for signing for an incorrect score in the second round.

The 35 year old, six times a winner on The European Tour and joint second at halfway, failed to add a two shot penalty to his card after an incident on the eighth hole, when he touched the line of his putt after marking his ball.

European Tour Chief Referee John Paramor said in a statement: "Simon Dyson has been disqualified from the BMW Masters presented by SRE Group under the rules of golf (6-6d). Simon was found to have breached rule 16-1a, which states that a player must not touch his line of putt.”

Dyson's disqualification dealt a huge blow to his chances of making the lucrative Race to Dubai finale.

Only the top 60 are eligible for the final event, with Dyson currently ranked 66th. He will now need a good performance in either the WGC-HSBC Champions or Turkish Airlines Open presented by the Ministry of Tourism and Culture to qualify for the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.

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