'Winning DPWTC will make the turkey taste better at Christmas'

Dubai - Rory is hoping for a successful title defence at the DP World Tour Championship

Missing Turkey because of security concerns may have blown Rory McIlroy's chances of making it three Race to Dubai titles in a row, but the World No.2 is hoping a successful title defence of the season-ending DP World Tour Championship will make "the turkey taste a bit better at Christmas."
The four-time Major winner withdrew from the Turkish Airlines Open at the beginning of this month after a rocket attack in Antalya. That, as well as Swede Alex Noren's win at the Nedbank Golf Challenge in Sun City, South Africa last week, meant that the Northern Irishman slipped to fourth on the Race to Dubai list.
He does have a chance, although bleak, at winning it if other results go his way. McIlroy needs to win the DP World Tour Championship with leader Henrik Stenson finishing outside the top 45, Englishman Danny Willett finishing outside the top five and Noren outside the top two.
"Yes, mathematically I can win, but it's not going to happen," McIlroy, said matter-of-factly, at the Jumeirah Golf Estates on Tuesday.
"I wouldn't hold my breath. I think the three guys that are ahead of me are playing very good golf, especially the two Swedes, Henrik and Alex. Alex with what he's done over the past few weeks; Henrik has had a fantastic year, and so has Danny, obviously. So, I don't expect those guys to play badly this week. You know, so I'm just concentrating on trying to win the golf tournament and if I can do that, I'll be very happy," he added.
Nonetheless, McIlroy feels a tournament win will be a good way to bring the curtains down on the season.
"I feel like my game is in pretty good shape. I've played this golf course pretty well in the past, and hopefully can play it just as well, if not better this week. It would be a good way to finish the year on a high and get a victory and lift the trophy and hopefully make the turkey taste a bit better at Christmas," said McIlroy.
McIlroy said that he didn't regret skipping Turkey, which effectively ruled himself out of the running for the Race to Dubai.
"I'm very happy with my decision. I've been here for the last couple of weeks. I've done a bit of practice, enjoyed myself. So, no, regrets at all. I wasn't expecting not to play Turkey, but then things happen, things change, and now here we are," he said.
"But I feel pretty fresh and feel like I'm ready to go, and going to give it 100 per cent for the last tournament of the year and hopefully I can put in a good performance and maybe get a fourth win of the season," he added.
McIlroy also weighed in on the new Rolex Series, which was launched on Tuesday, and said that the European Tour CEO Keith Pelley has given the Tour a bit of a "different energy."
"It's fantastic," McIlroy said about the Rolex Series.
"I think to be able to bring some of the bigger and best tournaments on the European Tour schedule and put them into this Rolex Series where obviously you're playing for an increased prize fund, which is fantastic. It's a great thing for the European Tour. But just to have the opportunity to bring more of the best players together more often, I think is going to be a real boost for The European Tour," said McIlroy.
"Keith Pelley has been a huge part of that, and I think him getting involved and giving the European Tour a bit of different energy has definitely helped," he added.
james@khaleejtimes.com