Rory McIlroy is set to lead a strong lineup at this week’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, aiming for his sixth Race to Dubai title.
Rory McIlroy and Tyrrell Hatton will reunite (Image: Getty Images)
However, he’ll have to outperform several big names to secure his fourth win of the season. McIlroy has once again dominated the DP World Tour’s Order of Merit and is on the brink of winning the crown for the third consecutive season. A successful week in Abu Dhabi could see him clinch the Race to Dubai title a week early for the second year running.
However, a packed field will be vying to delay McIlroy’s imminent crowning by at least a week, with the top-70 golf players in the rankings joining the Northern Irishman at Yas Links. Perhaps the biggest challenge McIlroy will face this week comes from his Ryder Cup teammate and LIV Golf star Tyrrell Hatton.
Hatton, who joined Legion XIII earlier this year following Jon Rahm’s footsteps, has spent most of his season on the LIV setup. The Englishman was forced to shift his focus back to the DP World Tour in recent months, needing to play four events by year-end to maintain his Tour membership and remain eligible for next year’s Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black.
Two months after his return at the British Masters, Tyrrell Hatton has not only fulfilled his four-event quota but also celebrated a victory at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. This marks his second win of the season, following his triumph at LIV Nashville. Given his previous success in this event, he’s expected to perform well again.
Meanwhile, Tommy Fleetwood, another former champion, is set to challenge McIlroy this week. Like Hatton, Fleetwood boasts an impressive record in Abu Dhabi, having won the event consecutively in 2017 and 2018. Entering the first playoff event of the two-week venture, Fleetwood ranks fifth. Another European Ryder Cup member, Shane Lowry, will also participate.
Tyrrell Hatton won the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship ( Image: Getty Images)
Earlier this year, the Irishman won the Zurich Classic of New Orleans on the PGA Tour alongside McIlroy and aims for his first European circuit win since the BMW PGA Championship in 2022. The Ryder Cup representation continues with Nicolai Hojgaard joining the Abu Dhabi field this week.
The Dane, who earned his PGA Tour card last season, has spent most of his season in the United States. Hojgaard hopes to secure his third Middle East title, following his victories at the DP World Tour Championship in 2023 and the Ras Al Khaimah Championship the previous year.
McIlroy will have to fend off not one, but two Hojgaards as Nicolai’s twin brother Rasmus is also in the field. Rasmus is hoping to follow his brother’s lead and secure his PGA Tour playing rights – a win in Abu Dhabi this week would certainly help his cause.
Meanwhile, Hatton isn’t the only player representing LIV Golf. Joaquin Niemann, one of LIV’s top performers, will be playing at Yas Links after having the best season of his career in 2024. Despite narrowly losing the LIV Order of Merit crown to Jon Rahm, he’ll undoubtedly be aiming to finish his year with a win in the Middle East. Also from the LIV camp is Adrian Meronk.
The Polish star was named the 2023 DP World Tour Player of The Year by his peers before switching to LIV shortly after. He’ll be looking to show he still has what it takes to compete with the best when he tees off at Yas Links.
