Mcilroy and Donald set for DP World Tour Championship showdown tomorrow

Billed as the “Greatest Weekend on Earth”, the DP World Tour Championship goes into its final round today (Sunday) with Rory McIlroy and Luke Donald – ranked one and two in the world – tied for the lead and set for a winner-takes-all showdown. Donald’s long-standing love affair with the Earth course continued yesterday (Saturday) with the Englishman’s bogey free round of 66 ending with a birdie on the 18th, his 100th consecutive hole without dropping a shot over the Jumeirah Golf Estates course.

But that remarkable statistic has failed to daunt World Number One McIlroy whose own third round of 66 means the pair go into the final day of the $8 million tournament tied on seventeen under par, three shots ahead of South African Charl Schwartzel and Louis Oosthuizen.

“It’s an incredible statistic but logically it means he is due a bogey,” smiled McIlroy, already confirmed as this year’s Race to Dubai winner. “Hopefully that will come tomorrow. But I am really looking forward to going out with Luke tomorrow. I’m excited by it and I am sure a lot of other people are too.”

A superb back nine of 31, featuring an eagle and three birdies, saw McIlroy claw back Donald’s advantage after the Englishman had forged a three shot lead over the front nine and gives the finale of The European Tour season the Sunday Showdown everyone wanted.

The last time Donald dropped a shot on the 7,675-yard course came at the eighth hole in the second round a year ago – but even after the subsequent 32 birdies and 68 pars last year’s Race to Dubai champion believes today’s showdown is far from a two-horse race.

“We can’t afford to get complacent out there as there are some great players right behind us,” said Donald. “Obviously this is a course that can throw out some low scores so for me it’s more about just playing my game again. Rory is hitting it so far right now that it’s a different golf course for us. But obviously I know how to play to my own strengths and that’s what I’ll be concentrating on. “

Donald’s statistic of 100 consecutive holes without drooping a shot is hugely impressive but will count for nothing should McIlroy add the DP World Tour Championship crown to The Race to Dubai trophy he has already won – although no player in European Tour history has completed a tournament without dropping a shot and not gone on to win.

“The run is a little hard to fathom but it’s something I will store away and use to my advantage,” added Donald. “It’s something that makes you a little more determined and you grind it out a little bit more not to break that streak. For sure, it will be a fun end to the season playing with Rory – No. 1 and No. 2 in the world – and the last round for both of us in 2012.”

Oosthuizen’s third round score of 68 and Schwartzel’s 67 puts the two Major winners out in their own on fourteen under par three shots behind the leaders, while fellow South African Branden Grace (70) and Dutchman Joost Luiten (67) are tied for fifth on twelve under par.

The best round on day three was that of Jeev Milka Singh who equalled the course record 64 thanks to nine birdies and one bogey to move to seven under par and a tie for 25th.

Today’s (Sunday) final round will see the first group take to the Earth course at 7.40am with the big two of McIlroy and Donald setting off at 12.25pm for the climax of the DP World Tour Championship, the final leg of The Race to Dubai and the “Greatest Weekend on Earth”.