The DP World Tour is set to introduce a new trophy in honour of Rory McIlroy, with the award debuting next season.
The Rory McIlroy Award will be given to the player who accumulates the most Race to Dubai points across the four major championships. The new accolade celebrates McIlroy’s achievement earlier this year when he became the first European player to complete a career Grand Slam.
Tommy Fleetwood has shared his thoughts on the announcement, especially since he is expected to be one of the main contenders for it.
Tommy Fleetwood shares thoughts on the Rory McIlroy Award
While many would assume that Rory McIlroy will be a favourite to win the award, he and the DP World Tour have agreed that he won’t be eligible.
Fleetwood took a lighthearted approach, saying he’s happy about McIlroy’s ineligibility as it improves his own chances of taking home the trophy.
He went on to speak highly of McIlroy, noting how much he has done for golf and why this honour is well-deserved.
“Rory has earned his place in the game,” Fleetwood said. “He’s done so much. For sure, I think sometimes as competitors… I don’t know, we play against Rory week in and week out. Look, he’s my partner in the Ryder Cup, and I think when you’re playing against him all the time, you don’t think about things that he’s achieved.
“But you’re also well aware of the history he’s created and where he will sit in the game when it’s all said and done when he’s finished playing – an unbelievably special talent.”
“I think having an award named after Rory is something that he should be very proud of. He deserves everything that he gets in this game,” Fleetwood continued. “And yeah, I look forward to hopefully challenging for that next season.”
How the race to Dubai picture looks for Tommy Fleetwood
Tommy Fleetwood is too far behind Rory McIlroy in the points race to catch him, so there will be no surprise title run from him this week.
The Harry Vardon Trophy will come down to a three-way battle between McIlroy, Marco Penge, and Tyrrell Hatton at Jumeirah Golf Estates.
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Hatton’s path to victory requires both a tournament win and for McIlroy to stay out of contention. He isn’t completely out of it, but it’s not an easy scenario.
Penge is much closer in the points race, though. A first or second-place finish would likely be enough for him to break McIlroy’s three-year grip on the title and deny him a seventh overall Race to Dubai crown.
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