In the DP World Tour Championship final round, Rory McIlroy and Matt Fitzpatrick will compete to see who will conclude 2022 as the top player in Europe.
Following a strong third-round 65 in Dubai, world number one McIlroy narrowly leads US Open champion, Fitzpatrick, in the projected standings as the race for the Harry Vardon Trophy enters its final day.
There is still much to play for on Sunday, though, since Fitzpatrick is only one shot behind Jon Rahm, their Ryder Cup teammate, who is currently in the lead.
Rahm, a two-time past champion, is now in first place on 15 under par after a flawless 65.
After shooting 70, Fitzpatrick, who was also aiming for his third victory at the Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates, was a shot farther down in second place.
Alex Noren of Sweden was third on 13 under, while McIlroy and Tyrrell Hatton, the co-leader at the halfway point, were level for fourth on 12 under.
McIlroy had the top spot going into the season finale, but Fitzpatrick took the lead after opening rounds of 71 and 68.
On Saturday, the Northern Irishman struck back, shooting an eagle, seven birdies, and two bogeys to move up the leaderboard.
He put up an exhibition round of golf for the large fans, coming very near to making birdies on the eighth and ninth holes with his approach shots.
The FedEx Cup champion on the PGA Tour in 2022, McIlroy thinks winning the Harry Vardon Trophy would be a great way to cap off an incredible year.
It’s extremely fantastic that after 15 years of playing professionally, I’ve reached this point in the game and am still learning how to accomplish things, said McIlroy.
It would be incredibly amazing because I’ve never won both the FedEx Cup and this tour’s standings in the same year.
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— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) November 19, 2022
“I’ve played some really, really fantastic golf this year and I’ve been extremely consistent. If I can go out tomorrow and shoot a good score and get the job done, that would be a really nice way to conclude what’s been a great year,” the golfer said.
Fitzpatrick acknowledged that becoming the first European number one in his career would be a significant accomplishment.
It would mean everything, he declared. “I’ll need lots of things to go my way.
“Depending on what happens tomorrow, this could be my third victory here, and if that’s the case, I wouldn’t have won the rankings any of those three times.”
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