Rory McIlroy has responded to Patrick Reed moving ahead of him in the Race to Dubai, insisting that having his longtime rival above him in the standings is not providing him with any extra motivation.
Reed currently leads McIlroy by 840 points in the Race to Dubai standings, with just six events remaining before the playoffs. The American strengthened his position after finishing tied for second at last week’s Amgen Irish Open, while McIlroy endured a difficult week and finished tied for 41st.
McIlroy admitted that his disappointing showing in Ireland has left him with ground to make up, but he insisted that the identity of the player ahead of him is not what is driving him.
“Last week wasn’t a great week for me in terms of the overall points. Patrick had a good week, and I didn’t have such a great week. I’m going to have to try to make up for that this week.”
The four-time major champion is chasing an eighth Race to Dubai title and knows there is still plenty of time to close the gap.
“I’m in a very fortunate position to be going for an eighth Race to Dubai. I can’t believe I’m sitting here with seven. I’d love to give myself a chance again.”
McIlroy was then asked whether Reed’s position at the top of the standings gives him additional motivation.
His response was measured.
“It doesn’t matter who’s up there. I think being second right now and being a little ways off first, that’s motivation enough to try to finish the year off well.”
McIlroy will have an immediate opportunity to reduce Reed’s advantage at this week’s BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, where 1,300 Race to Dubai points are available to the winner.
Reed, meanwhile, has welcomed the opportunity to battle McIlroy throughout the remainder of the season.
“It’s always fun going up against Rors. I’ve always loved going up against him. I always want to go up against the best players in the world, and he’s definitely in that category.”
The history between the two players adds another layer to the Race to Dubai battle, but McIlroy has made it clear that his focus is on the standings rather than the identity of his main rival.
With the BMW PGA Championship offering a significant points haul, McIlroy now has a chance to begin closing the 840-point gap and put himself back in contention for another Race to Dubai crown.
