Hong Kong: World number one Luke Donald and second-ranked Rory McIlroy go in search of desert treasure at this week`s Dubai World Championship, the final event of the European Tour season.
McIlroy cranked up the pressure on his fellow Briton at the top of the money-list by holing out in stunning fashion from a greenside bunker to land the Hong Kong Open title on Sunday.
Donald, however, still has a lead of more than USD 1 million over the second-placed Northern Irishman and only needs to finish among the leading eight in Dubai to become the first player to win the orders of merit on both sides of the Atlantic.
"I`ve got a nice, comfortable lead," Donald told reporters after finishing seventh at the Sun City Challenge invitational event in South Africa won by fellow Englishman Lee Westwood on Sunday.
"The advantage is still in my court. Rory is going to have to go and win in Dubai against a high-quality field."
Tour officials could not have scripted the Dubai extravaganza better, with the top two players in the world fighting to end the season as European number one for the first time in their careers.
World number three Westwood will also be buoyant after his victory at Sun City while fourth-ranked German Martin Kaymer, last year`s European number one, is likely to be another contender for the first prize of USD 1.25 million.
The financial incentives in Dubai are huge, with USD 7.5 million available in prize fund and an additional USD 7.5 million bonus pool up for grabs for the top 15 players in the final money-list.
Donald, who clinched first place on the U.S. money-list in October, said McIlroy`s victory in Hong Kong came as no surprise to him.
"I didn`t expect anything less from Rory," said Donald who turns 34 on Wednesday. "I knew he would put the pressure on me and make it tough going.”
"He did what he needed to do to stay in contention for the money-list title and won the tournament."
Donald has been a model of consistency this year, producing a host of top-10 finishes plus victories at the Disney Classic in Florida, the PGA Championship at Wentworth, WGC-Accenture Match Play in Arizona and at the Scottish Open.
Asked what it would represent to capture both orders of merit, he replied: "It would mean history -- no one has ever done it.
"It would be a lot of satisfaction for all the hard work. It has been a great year and that would be the icing on the cake."
McIlroy has also enjoyed a memorable season, having won his first major at the U.S. Open in June.
If it goes down to the wire in the final round in Dubai, the 22-year-old may harbour secret hopes that his ball finds desert sand.
"It was actually a very positive thing I hit it in the bunker at the 18th on Sunday because in two tournaments I`ve found the bunker on the last and been able to win," said McIlroy, referring to last month`s Shanghai Masters and the 2009 Dubai Classic.
"It was nice to have those positive thoughts. I was walking up to my ball drawing on those memories."
Bureau Report
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.