Rory McIlroy has played down safety concerns about competing at the Abu Dhabi Championship this week, amid tensions in the Middle East that have impacted the sports calendar in the region.
It is the first
of lucrative, back-to-back season-ending events in the United Arab Emirates over the next two weeks that will determine who wins the year-long Race to Dubai title, which crowns the No. 1 player on the European tour.
McIlroy is third in the standings, behind Eugenio Chacarra and Patrick Reed, as he chases a record-tying eighth season-long title.
The tour decided to stick to the upcoming schedule of Abu Dhabi and Dubai amid increased security concerns in the Middle East because of the Israel-Iran war. Last month saw deadly attacks on Saudi Arabia, which shares a border with the UAE.
“I don’t think I would ever feel unsafe,” McIlroy, one of golf's most high-profile players, said Wednesday — a day before the Abu Dhabi Championship begins. "You know, even if something were to happen, like I still wouldn’t feel unsafe.
“You know, the UAE has great defense systems. Yeah, I think the only thing would be that if they closed the air space and you were stuck here for a period of time, like people were at the start of year, but like I would still feel safe. I wouldn’t feel like I would be in any danger.”
McIlroy said he has remained in close contact with the tour about the security situation in the UAE.
"If everyone deems that it’s safe to be here, then who am I to say otherwise?” the No. 2-ranked Northern Irishman said.
“You know, this is important to me. I want to play well. I want to end my year well. I wanted to have a chance to win another Race to Dubai. I don’t feel like there’s any risk coming here but if I did feel like there was a risk, I feel like the reward is worth it.”
No. 3-ranked Matt Fitzpatrick raised concerns in September about Dubai hosting the final event of the European season, saying it was a “no-brainer” to switch to a different country.
“But I’m not a sponsor, I’m not paying the bills and all that sort of stuff," Fitzpatrick told the BBC.
Fitzpatrick is among some big names not playing this week in Abu Dhabi, though he is assured of being in the 50-man field for the World Tour Championship in Dubai next week — if he opts to play.
The Asian Tour already has postponed one of its most prestigious events, the PIF Saudi International that was scheduled for Nov. 18-21.
The 2027 Asian Cup soccer tournament, scheduled to start Jan. 7, has been pushed back to December, while the season-ending WTA Finals in women’s tennis were moved from Saudi Arabia to Indian Wells, California.
This weekend's Qatar Grand Prix in MotoGP won't include Japanese team Yahama, which pulled out over safety concerns. Season-ending Formula 1 races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi are still on the calendar, though the Saudi Grand Prix was canceled this season and the Bahrain race relocated to Malaysia.
McIlroy is looking to join Colin Montgomerie on eight Race to Dubai titles — in the Scot's day, it was called the Order of Merit — but needs a big final two weeks.
McIlroy is around 1,000 points behind Chacarra and 330 behind Reed. The winner this week will gain 1,500 points, second place gets 1,000, while third gets 565.
The winner of the World Tour Championship next week picks up 2,000 points.
McIlroy, Reed and Chacarra are in the same group for the opening two rounds in Abu Dhabi. The reigning Masters champion has had many tussles with Reed down the years, but has never played with Chacarra.
“You look at Eugenio and Patrick as former LIV players but coming back and going through the process of trying to build their way back through the game and through this tour,” McIlroy said, "and ultimately both of them are going to get a PGA Tour card again next year.
“I have a lot of respect for them with the way that they have done it.”
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