Rory McIlroy is European golf king for the second consecutive year, thanks to his third success in the Race to Dubai. The world number three is finally back in superb form and on Saturday and Sunday he prevailed over his closest competitor Andy Sullivan in the DP World Tour Championship, in Dubai, after a thrilling heads-up over the last 18 holes, to take first prize in the competition and the first place in the standings on the 2015 tour, now in its last appointment.
The Northern Irishman appeared totally healed from the ankle sprain which, in recent months, prevented him from defending his title in two majors and from maintaining the number one position in the world rankings, occupied today, every other week, by the Australian Jason Day and Texan Jordan Spieth.
The 26-year-old showed in Dubai that he is ready to reclaim his world leadership, not only thanks to his drive of impressive length and accuracy, but also thanks to a solid putt and a newfound ability to concentrate. This bodes well for the 2016 season, full of events: in addition to the two main tours, the American and the European one, there will in fact be the Olympics and the Ryder Cup.
Excellent end of the season also for Francesco Molinari who closed his match yesterday in fourth position, after having hit a good hole in one on the par three of hole 6 of 170 metres. The excellent placement earned the Turinese a small leap in the Race to Dubai, where he finished 32nd ahead of former world number one Luke Donald.
Finally, good news from the Qualifyng School, where four Italians won the card to participate in the 2016 European tour. They are Francesco Laporta, Nino Bertasio, Edoardo Molinari and Nicolò Ravan, who overcame a very tough challenge between 156 competitors, disputed on the length of 108 holes, at the PGA Catalunya Resort in Girona, Spain over a distance of 108 holes. Thanks to this result, in the next season, Italy will still have seven players on the top continental circuit, since Francesco Molinari (who will also compete in the PGA Tour), Matteo Manassero and Renato Paratore must be added to the promoted quartet.
