Rory McIlroy is hoping to turn around his frustrating season, by winning at least one event in the three he is playing during the Final Series of the European Tour, as well as claiming a third Race to Dubai title.

The 26-year-old Northern Irishman returns to the European Tour this week at the Turkish Airlines Open, and will play the WGC-HSBC Champions in Shanghai and the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai after this.

McIlroy is currently leading the Race to Dubai with earnings of 3,011,999 euros, but is yet to win a tournament since making his comeback from the ankle injury that kept him out of the Open Championship and WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, both tournaments where he was the defending champion, as well as the Scottish Open before that.

And McIlroy, who had won the WGC-Cadillac Match Play and Well Fargo Championship in May, said in a press conference on Wednesday: "Obviously, I'd like to win the Race to Dubai. I'd like to win at least one of these last three events that I’m playing. That would make me feel better about the end of the year.

"From when I injured my ankle, if I was to go from then to the end of the season without another win, especially with how I was playing up until that point, it would be very disappointing.
"So, I've got three opportunities coming up to try and get a win or two on the board and end this year on a positive. At least that would help me go into next year with a bit of momentum.

"And yeah, it would mean an awful lot to me to win the Race to Dubai for the third time. It would be a great achievement and that's obviously what I'm trying to do the next few weeks."

This is the first time McIlroy is taking part in the Turkish Airlines Open, which also announced an extension of three years with the European Tour and will remain a part of the lucrative Final Series events.

Brooks Koepka was the champion last year, but the American has decided not to defend his title after giving up on his European Tour membership to concentrate on the PGA Tour.

The field of 78 players also includes England’s Danny Willett, who is second in the Race to Dubai behind McIlroy.

A winner twice this season, Willett, who is 271,214 euros behind McIlroy, said: "I'm coming into the final four events with a chance to do something not many guys get to do. There's only one Order of Merit winner each year. To have a chance is great."

Source: AFP