ABU DHABI: Rory McIlroy can finish a season as the European tour’s top player for the sixth time with a win at the Abu Dhabi Championship this week.
He’ll attempt to do so with a new swing.
The No. 3-ranked McIlroy said he has been hunkered down in a studio — first in Florida, then in New York — for three weeks, just hitting balls at a screen with a modified swing and not even looking at the flight of his shots.
He hasn’t liked the shape of his swing for a while, he said Wednesday, and wanted a more robust one that could hold up in the most pressure-filled moments following a number of missed chances this season. The most notable was at the US Open in June, where he missed two putts in the 3-foot range in the final three holes on Sunday to pave the way for a victory for Bryson DeChambeau and extend McIlroy’s decade without a major title.
“The only way I was going to make a change, or at least move in the right direction, with my swing was to lock myself in a studio and not see the ball flight for a bit and just focus entirely on the movement,” McIlroy said.
“It’s something, he added, “just to make my golf swing more efficient, and then if it is more efficient, then it means it’s not going to break down as much under pressure. If I look at my year, the one thing that I would criticize myself on is the fact that I’ve had these chances to win.”
McIlroy has won twice this year — at the Dubai Desert Classic and the Wells Fargo Championship — and has had four second-place finishes, including recently at the Irish Open and the BMW PGA Championship on the European tour.
That has left the Northern Irishman frustrated but well clear in the Race to Dubai rankings that determine the best player of the year on the European tour. A win in Abu Dhabi can seal the title and remove some suspense — at least for McIlroy — from the final event of the season, at the World Tour Championship in nearby Dubai next week.
“If I go out and win this week, obviously you know, it makes it a bit boring next week,” the four-time major champion said. “But I won’t find it boring. It will be lovely.”
A sixth Race to Dubai title — it used to be called the Order of Merit — would put McIlroy level with the late Seve Ballesteros on the all-time list and only two behind Colin Montgomerie, who has a record eight.
“I’m a European player,” McIlroy said. “I would like to go down as the most successful European of all time. Obviously Race to Dubai wins would count to that but also major championships and hopefully I’ve got a few more Ryder Cups ahead of me as well.
“So that’s something that I would like to (do). I think (it) is a goal that’s quite attainable over the next 10 years.”
McIlroy looks to clinch Race to Dubai title with new swing after 3 weeks shut away in a studio
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McIlroy looks to clinch Race to Dubai title with new swing after 3 weeks shut away in a studio
- The No. 3-ranked McIlroy said he has been locked in a studio for three weeks just hitting balls at a screen with a modified swing
Saudi rising star Malik Basahel targets statement win at PFL MENA Finals
AL-KHOBAR: Saudi flyweight prospect Malik Basahel faces a pivotal test in his young professional career when he takes on Egypt’s Mahmoud Atef at the PFL MENA Finals: All or Nothing later on Friday at the Dhahran Expo in Al-Khobar.
Building on strong performances across the PFL and IMMAF circuits, Basahel sees the bout as a natural next step in a progression he has been planning for years. Confident but composed, he views the contest as another opportunity to underline what his record already suggests.
“I feel good. Obviously, it’s my sixth time fighting for the PFL. It’s my third pro fight this year,” Basahel said.
“For me, it’s just another fight, another opportunity to showcase what I’ve learned in the gym, to show my skills, and to get that win. I’m just focused on my next fight. I’ve got a good feeling about it.”
That calm approach is rooted in experience. From a decorated amateur career to an unbeaten start as a professional, Basahel has shown an ability to perform under pressure, with each outing reflecting steady development.
His run in the PFL has already exposed him to a variety of opponents and styles, providing valuable cage time.
Standing opposite him, Atef brings a 5-3 record and a reputation for pushing the pace. Basahel is ready for the challenge.
“He brings the fight, so I can bring the fight as well,” Basahel said. “I’m locked in on this one, and whatever happens after, happens.”
While acknowledging the higher stakes that come with competing on the PFL platform, the Saudi is clear about what keeps him grounded.
“The level of competition is higher than the regional shows, and obviously the media and everything around it plays a part,” he said. “But at the end of the day, it’s only a cage, the same rules, the same fight. I just try to put the work in, show what I can do, and have some fun with it. I always try to learn, always try to improve. I just know I’m going to get this win.”
For Basahel, the matchup with Atef represents a chance to reinforce his status as one of the region’s most promising flyweights and to deliver the statement performance he believes will carry him toward the upper tiers of the sport.
