Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship: Who can stop Rory McIlroy from winning the Race to Dubai? – Items – Rolex series

As the DP World Tour season nears its climax, Rory McIlroy arrives at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship – the first event of the DP World Tour Play-Offs – with a strong chance of winning his sixth Race to Dubai title.

With two tournaments on the schedule, the Northern Irishman looks poised to catch up with the late, great Seve Ballesteros, who won six Harry Vardon Trophies.

And yet, while McIlroy has a commanding lead at the top of the season-long rankings, 36 other players had a chance – albeit a slim one for many – at the start of the week to finish the season as Europe's number one.

With that in mind, we recap some of the key Race to Dubai variants leading up to the fourth Rolex Series event of the campaign at Yas Links, including how players can play their way into the DP World Tour Championship next week.

Four-time major champion McIlroy leads the Race to Dubai rankings in partnership with Thriston Lawrence's Rolex with 1,572.39 points, with Rasmus Højgaard a further 347.89 points behind.

But with 1,500 Race to Dubai points for the winner and 1,000 for the runner-up this week at Yas Links, there is room for movement.

Although there are too many permutations to list, it is certain that both Lawrence and Højgaard will need to be within 1,942.4 points of McIlroy at the end of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship to have a shot at the Race to Dubai title ” to have.

Rory McIlroy will win the Race to Dubai 2024 today if:

· He comes second alone

· he finishes second with someone else and Lawrence finishes T4 with at least two people

· he comes second with two others and Lawrence takes sixth place with another

· He finishes third alone and Lawrence alone finishes worse than ninth

· He finishes third alone and Lawrence alone finishes 15th or worse

· He finishes fourth alone and Lawrence alone finishes 31st or worse

· He finishes third alone and Lawrence alone finishes 11th or worse

· He finishes third with someone else and Lawrence finishes alone 15th or worse

· He finishes fourth alone and Lawrence alone finishes 31st or worse

After that, and with Billy Horschel ruling him out of the running to win the season prize this week, from Tommy Fleetwood in fifth place to Guido Migliozzi in 14th, each player needs a certain number of points or a certain position to to stay in the race.*

*each of the following results is based on McIlroy's last place finish

· Tommy Fleetwood: Must achieve at least 541.93 points

· Matteo Manassero: Must achieve at least 568.91 points

· Niklas Nørgaard: Must achieve at least 580.91 points

· Jesper Svensson: Must achieve at least 630.60 points

· Robert MacIntyre: Must achieve 632.29 points

· Rikuya Hoshino: Must finish at least second alone

· Adam Scott: Must finish at least second alone

· Sebastian Söderberg: Must be at least second alone

· Jordan Smith: Must finish at least second alone

· Guido Migliozzi: Must finish at least second alone

From Romain Langasque to 37th-ranked Sam Bairstow, every player who hits the ball this week will need to win in Abu Dhabi to stay in contention. However, it is important to note that this is also based on McIlroy finishing last in both season-ending events.

And what about those trying to break into the top 50 available players for the DP World Tour Championship?

Here are the following minimum requirements for outsiders entering the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship:

· Calum Hill: 19.88 points

· Grant Forrest: 34.08 points

· Jeff Winther: 78.35 points

· Casey Jarvis: 91.06 points

· Francesco Laporta: 108.04 points

· Dylan Frittelli: 108.08 points

· Alejandro Del Rey: 117.41 points

· Marcel Siem: 119.61 points

· Brandon Stone: 120.05 points

· Jayden Schaper: 123.18 points

· Thomas Detry: 135.91 points

· Nicolai Højgaard: 148.02 points

· Shubhankar Sharma: 151.07 points

· Gavin Green: 152.65 points

· Richard Mansell: 152.76 points

· Matthew Baldwin: 161.34 points

· Alfredo Garcia-Heredia: 165.94 points

· David Micheluzzi: 166.58 points

· Joost Luiten: 168.29 points

· Adrien Saddier: 168.55 points

· Sean Crocker: 187.04 points