Rory McIlroy says failure to end major wait in 2024 season 'stings' but year still success as he chases Race to Dubai win

golf Wednesday 13 November 2024 23:12, UK

Rory McIlroy admits his failure to end his decade-long major drought this year "stings" but he still classes 2024 as a "successful season" as he bids to close out a sixth Race to Dubai title this week.

McIlroy plays in the season-ending DP World Tour Championship, live on Sky Sports Golf, from Thursday morning where he will aim to secure the tour's No 1 spot for a third in a row.

A top-11 finish on Sunday will guarantee him the $2m (£1,569,988) prize as Europe's top golfer again irrespective of where South African Thriston Lawrence, the only other player still in Race to Dubai contention, finishes.

McIlroy has won three tournaments this year - twice on the PGA Tour and once on the DP World Tour, back in Dubai in January - but a fifth major remained elusive after an agonising one-shot defeat to Bryson DeChambeau in the final round of June's US Open amid a late collapse over the final holes.

Reflecting on his year as a whole, McIlroy said that even though he may not have achieved all of his goals for 2024, he was still pleased with how he had played overall.

"Incredibly consistent again. I've been really proud of that over the past few years," he said in Wednesday's pre-tournament press conference in Dubai.

"But then, at the same time, thinking about the ones that have got away. I should be sitting up here with a fifth major title and I'm not, so that stings and that's something that I've had to come to terms with. But at the same time, I've got plenty more opportunities in the future.

"But I really just tried to focus on the positives this year of consistently performing at the highest level. You know, still having three wins with an opportunity to get a fourth here this week, to win another Race to Dubai title.

"Did I achieve every goal I set myself this year? Probably not, but I still consider it a successful season."

Asked what grade he would give himself for 2024, the Northern Irishman replied: "It would be a pass. It wouldn't be a pass with flying colours. Probably an eight."

He is set to finish the year third in the world golf rankings behind American duo Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele.

"You've got two guys at the top of the world rankings, Xander winning two majors, Scottie winning a Masters, a Players and the Olympics, they certainly separated themselves from the pack this year," admitted McIlroy.

"I'm obviously very aware of that and it only makes me more motivated to try to emulate what they did this year."

A day after the DP World Tour schedule for 2025 was revealed, McIlroy was asked about his own plans for next year after reports he is to play in fewer tournaments after making 27 appearances across the globe in 2024.

He said it would be his commitments on the PGA Tour - where he has played 19 times - that would likely reduce slightly.

Regarding the DP World Tour where he has featured in seven regular tournaments, McIlroy said: "That'll look very similar going forward

"I'll most typically start in the Middle East in Dubai and then I don't really play over here again until the Scottish Open [in July]. So I'll play that, that's a tournament I've enjoyed playing the last few years, especially leading up to The Open Championship.

"Then once the season in America is done then come back over. The way the schedule is, Irish Open, Wentworth, Dunhill, these two [Play-Off] events, it's going to look very similar to what I've always done.

"If anything, the schedule will be reduced over in the States in terms of some of the tournaments that I've played this year that I typically don't play, those are the ones that I would shave off."

First of all, McIlroy will bid to finish this year on a high by securing the Race to Dubai at a tournament he has won outright twice on the Greg Norman-designed Earth course at Jumeirah Golf Estates.

"Coming here last year I already had it wrapped up, which was obviously really nice, but at the same time maybe lacked a little bit of motivation within the tournament because of that," he said.

"So knowing that I still have to go out and play pretty well depending on what Thriston does, I think that gives me a little extra motivation to keep a bit more focused this week."

McIlroy starts the week a commanding 1,785.02 points ahead of 27-year-old Lawrence, who has recorded 10 top-10 finishes this year, including a sixth place in Abu Dhabi last week.

"He's quite a creative player. He plays a lot of different shots and he's had a wonderful year," said McIlroy.

"We had a good chat last week about what his plans are for next year and obviously PGA Tour card and his plans to make that work over there as well."

And should McIlroy secure his sixth Race to Dubai title on Sunday then he will draw level with the legendary Seve Ballesteros in the all-time rankings and be just two away from record eight-time winner Colin Montgomerie.

"I guess I am a little too young to remember a lot of Seve's career and things that he did. Seve is almost like, not a mythical character to me, but was just a little bit before my time," he said.

"But he was my dad's favourite player. The immense impact he had on European golf from a Ryder Cup and from what he did for the European Tour, he means a lot to the overall game of golf but specifically in this part of the world and on this tour.

"To draw level with him and to have a career that can somewhat stack up against his is very cool."

Who will win the Race to Dubai? Watch the DP World Tour Championship this week live on Sky Sports Golf. Live coverage starts on Thursday from 7am on Sky Sports Golf. Get Sky Sports or stream the DP World Tour and more with NOW.