World No 3 Luke Donald is hoping to finish the year with a bang and push Rory McIlroy all the way to Dubai for the season-ending DP World Tour Championship.
Having already seen McIlroy take his US PGA Tour money crown, Donald is not willing to give up his European Tour title without a fight.
Donald lies in 11th spot with 1.44 million euros in the Race To Dubai - way behind McIlroy’s 2.81 million - but victory at the US$7 million BMW Masters that starts at the Lake Malaren Golf Course near Shanghai on Thursday or the US$7 million HSBC Champions at Mission Hills in Shenzhen next week would put him right back in the race.
“The Race To Dubai is what’s left to really play for. These next two weeks are important and if I can grab a win or two it’s going to go a long way. These are big money events and you can catch up quickly,” Donald said.
“It’s going to be tough. Rory’s No 1 this year, and he’s playing the best of anyone. He’s wrapped up the US money list and he’s trying to do what I did last year and win both money titles. And he’s in a great position to do that.
“I felt a lot of pressure last year [trying to win both money titles] and I remember being very nervous. It was a big moment for me. I wanted to do something that no one had ever done officially, and fortunately it worked out.”