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Rory McIlroy has his sights set on overtaking one European golfing great and closing the gap on another as he looks to win the Harry Vardon Trophy for a seventh time at the season-ending DP World Tour Championship.
MORE: What’s next for Rory McIlroy: 5 new goals for him to achieve
"It probably doesn't get talked about enough."
Rory on Colin Montgomerie's record eight Order of Merits. #DPWTC | #RolexSeries pic.twitter.com/kSVoSiB5el
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) November 11, 2025
McIlroy comes into the week as both defending champion and reigning Race to Dubai champion, and the World Number Two currently leads nearest challenger Marco Penge by 767-points in his bid to move past Seve Ballesteros’ six order of merit wins and close in on Colin Montgomerie’s record of eight.
With 2,000 points awarded to the winner of the final Rolex Series event of the season at Jumeirah Golf Estates this week, McIlroy knows that despite ending last week’s event in Abu Dhabi with a ten under round of 62, both Penge and his Ryder Cup team mate Tyrrell Hatton could yet overtake him at the top of the Rankings as he bids to wrap up a remarkable season on another high note.
"To have my name up there along with Harry Vardon and Sir Henry Cotton and Seve Ballesteros and John Jacobs, that's very special."
What the Rory McIlroy Award means to the man himself 💬 https://t.co/jSKGXb8eqm pic.twitter.com/qoOOTRyEHL
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) November 11, 2025
As he ends the year that famously included his landmark victory at Augusta National in April, it was also announced today that the DP World Tour is inaugurating the Rory McIlroy Award, a new annual trophy named in honour of Europe’s first winner of the Career Grand Slam.
Tommy Fleetwood is also aiming to round out a momentous season in style as the Dubai resident bids to win the DP World Tour Championship for the first time.
The Englishman comes into this year’s edition in sparkling form, having ended his wait for a first PGA TOUR title at the Tour Championship to capture the FedExCup in August, joining McIlroy in playing a key role in Europe’s historic away Ryder Cup victory at Bethpage Black in September and winning the DP World India Championship last month.
He also went close to adding to his two Rolex Series titles at last week’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship but lost out to his good friend Aaron Rai in a tense play-off on Sunday.
Here’s the prize money breakdown for each golfer at the 2025 DP World Tour Championship
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