Race to Dubai leader McIlroy eyes elusive Falcon Trophy in Abu Dhabi

Race to Dubai leader Rory McIlroy is determined to break his duck at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship — celebrating its 20th edition this week — as he looks to add the Falcon Trophy to his stunning collection of UAE titles.

Seven of McIlroy’s 20 DP World Tour victories have come in the UAE, with four Hero Dubai Desert Classic titles and three DP World Tour Championship wins to his name since making his debut in the Emirates in 2006.

Despite several close calls — including four runner-up finishes in the capital — the reigning Masters champion has yet to claim the Abu Dhabi Championship title, leaving a small gap in his glittering resume that includes five Major Championships and 29 PGA Tour victories.

“I’ve been close,” said McIlroy in his pre-tournament press conference.

“Second four times and third five times or something.

“I’d say the majority of the times that we’ve played in Abu Dhabi, it’s been my first event of the year, and you’re just not quite... I’m not saying that’s all the reason but you’re just not quite as sharp and not quite as match fit as you would be in the middle of the season.

‘I feel like this tournament going to the end of the year should hopefully give me a better opportunity to knock it off and finally get that Falcon Trophy.

“With how much I’ve won in Dubai and not being able to get it done an hour down the road, yeah, it’s something I want to try and achieve.”

McIlroy currently leads the Race to Dubai Rankings ahead of the opening event of the DP World Tour Play-Offs, holding a commanding 441.32-point advantage over Englishman Marco Penge.

Should McIlroy finish the season at the summit, the 36-year-old would claim his seventh Harry Vardon Trophy, moving within one of Colin Montgomerie’s record of eight season-long titles.

“When I got to six last year and tied Seve, and Monty doesn’t feel that far away, it’s like, yeah, that’s something that I would love to do,” said McIlroy, who will tee off alongside Penge and Tyrrell Hatton tomorrow.

“Let’s see if I can do it. I’ve given myself a really good shot again this year. But I know I’m going to have a good challenge from Marco and Tyrrell and a few other guys behind me. But I’m excited for the challenge over these next couple weeks.”

Just a year ago, Penge was ranked outside the world’s top 400 and had only just secured his European Tour card with a nervy putt on his final hole. The past 12 months have been nothing short of a whirlwind.

Early in the year, Penge was handed a two-month suspension for placing small bets on tournaments he wasn’t competing in back in 2022 — before he had completed the tour’s integrity program. He took full responsibility for the mistake, vowing to learn from it and move forward.

And move forward he did. Penge claimed his first European Tour victory in China, finished runner-up at the Scottish Open, then added wins in Denmark and Spain. Now, with three titles to his name this season, he finds himself within striking distance of McIlroy.

“I still am in disbelief in a way that I am in the position that I am,” Penge said Tuesday in Abu Dhab-i. “Not from the point that I don’t think I’m good enough, just from the point of how fast it’s happened.”

There are other perks. He already has locked up a PGA Tour card awarded to the leading 10 players on the European Tour. Amid chatter he might be a target for LIV Golf, Penge and his wife headed to the United States to start house hunting for the year.

This is a big week for more than just the Race to Dubai. Penge is at No. 29 in the world ranking, and there are some valuable points at stake for next year. The criteria for the $20 million signature events on the PGA Tour include top 30 in the world ranking.

“I’ve looked at the schedule and fully aware that I think that if you’re top 30 in the world before an elevated event, you get into that tournament,” he said.