The Northern Irishman has only a slim chance of retaining the Race to Dubai money-list title but victory would ensure a spectacular end to a year in which he also won the $10mn FedExCup series in the United States.
“I still have a lot to play for this week,” McIlroy told Sky Sports television on Sunday. “If I can win I will finish the year as world number one so that’s a huge incentive.”
Day has been top of the rankings since March while McIlroy was last number one in August 2015.
The Northern Irishman is fourth in the European Tour money list behind British Open champion Henrik Stenson, US Masters winner Danny Willett and Swede Alex Noren who landed the Nedbank Challenge crown in South Africa on Sunday.
McIlroy did himself no favours by missing this month’s Turkish Airlines Open because of security fears but he stood by his decision. Asked if he regretted missing the event, he said: “No, not at all. If I hadn’t won the FedExCup then maybe it would have been a different scenario but I have won the Race to Dubai before and hopefully I can win it again.
“I think (number one) Henrik is the favourite this year. He is the guy who is playing well and has got the form. I think the course suits him better than Danny, he hits the ball higher which is always an asset round here.”
Stenson needs long game back on song in Dubai
Henrik Stenson is looking to iron out some creases in his long game in time for Europe’s season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai which starts on Thursday.
The money-list leader was not at his best but still finished eighth in Sunday’s Nedbank Challenge at Sun City, South Africa, an event won by fellow Swede Alex Noren.
“I felt like my swing had more moving parts than my Swiss watch,” Stenson told www.europeantour.com.
“I was fighting my long game. I think I did pretty good despite that.”
Stenson, Noren, US Masters champion Danny Willett and four-times major winner Rory McIlroy can all finish top of the money-list.
British Open winner Stenson leads Englishman Willett by almost 300,000 points. Noren trails his compatriot by 633,436 points while fourth-placed McIlroy is 1,176,414 adrift. The Northern Irishman has to win in Dubai to have any chance of being crowned Europe’s number one for a fourth time.
Noren needs at least a top-two finish while Willett must be among the leading five to have any hope of displacing Stenson.
The DP World Tour Championship has a prize fund of $8mn.
Noren focuses on good golf
Alex Noren has an outside chance of topping the Race to Dubai standings in the United Arab Emirates this weekend but the Swede is only concentrating on playing well at the European Tour’s season-ending event.
The 34-year-old climbed into the top 10 of the world rankings for a first time after rallying for a six-stroke victory after a final-round 63 handed him the Nedbank Golf Challenge title at the Gary Player Country Club on Sunday.
But in order to finish top of the money list, Noren must finish in the top two at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai, which starts on Thursday, and then hope the other three contenders are not among the front runners.
Noren is third on the money list but played down the possibility of another sensational come-from-behind success after registering his fourth victory of the season.
“This is out of my mind, I’ll just try to play some good golf next week and we will see what happens,” he told reporters before leaving Sun City.
Compatriot Henrik Stenson is favourite to wrap up the title of Europe’s top golfer with a 299,675-point lead over nearest rival, English US Masters champion Danny Willett.
Noren is 633,436 adrift of his countryman but if he finishes first or second and Stenson is outside the top eight and Willet outside top two, then he can leapfrog them both in the standings.
Rory McIlroy, who skipped the last two European Tour events, will only retain his status as the top player on the circuit if he wins in Dubai and Stenson finishes outside the top 45, Willett outside the top five and Noren outside the top two.
On Sunday, the Northern Irishman said he was more interested in trying to displace Australian Jason Day at the top of the world rankings than retaining his order of merit crown.
“I still have a lot to play for this week,” the world number two told Sky Sports.
“If I can win I will finish the year as world number one, so that’s a huge incentive.”
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