Rory McIlroy hopes to secure a £2.3million payday at the DP World Championship this weekend, but the Northern Irishman’s time at the tournament hasn’t been without its tests
Aaron Morris Senior Sports Reporter
12:07, 15 Nov 2025Updated 12:07, 15 Nov 2025
Rory McIlroy has had his work cut out this weekend(Image: Getty Images)
Sky Sports were forced to issue an apology after Rory McIlroy let rip with a brief expletive-filled outburst at the DP World Championship on Saturday.
The Northern Irishman is not only eyeing the winner’s cheque of £2.3million in Jumeirah this weekend, but is also looking to wrap up the Race to Dubai crown. The weight of expectation on McIlroy’s shoulders was clear during Saturday’s third round, as he missed out on a birdie opportunity at the par-four 12th hole on the Earth Course.
Had the ball dropped, it would have elevated him to a tie for fourth at the World Championship. However, he instead remained stuck in ninth place with an overall score of 10-under. The 36-year-old’s exasperation was there for all to see as he watched the ball roll agonisingly wide of the cup, shouting: “No WAY! F***ing greens,” reports the Mirror.
Sky Sports commentator Dominik Holyer quickly offered an apology to viewers who may have been offended by the language captured by the course-side microphones. He said: “Apologies. Frustration for the Race to Dubai leader and World No. 2.”
Currently, McIlroy looks well-placed to claim a seventh Race to Dubai championship, leading the standings with 4,640.06 points. However, with 2,000 points up for grabs for the DP World Championship victor, his position remains far from guaranteed.
Marco Penge and Tyrrell Hatton could still surpass him with a victory this weekend, as they currently hold 3,873.04 and 2,919.18 points respectively. McIlroy had an impressive start to the tournament on Thursday, breezing through the first round with a six-under par score.
However, Friday’s round proved more challenging – with McIlroy only managing a three-under score, partially attributing his performance to adverse conditions. After the second round, he said: “Yes, I had to battle more today than I did yesterday, the conditions were slightly tougher as well.
McIlroy fumed at the DP World Championship greens on Saturday(Image: 2025 Getty Images)
“So if you look at the scoring yesterday compared to today it is a little bit tougher. I missed a couple more fairways, and when I did, I got some really bad lies, like the worst lies I’ve seen this week.
“I felt like I showed my scoring skills and battled well and stayed patient, got the ball up and down when I needed to, and overall to shoot 69, I’m pretty pleased given some of the spots I was in.”
Despite the challenges, the Northern Irishman didn’t shy away from praising his own resilience. He continued: “The one thing I did very well today was, when I made a bogey, I bounced back straight away with a birdie, which was nice.
“And I think knowing what the scoring holes are here, even when I went into the back nine, knowing I’ve got the two par fives, and on 15 the short par four – there’s some difficult holes like 12 and 13 and 16 and 17, knowing that if you just get through those holes with pars, not trying to be a hero, and then just take advantage of the easier holes, that’s sort of how I tried to piece it together today. It ended up working well for me and I shot a decent score.”
It comes as McIlroy was honoured by the DP World Tour ahead of this weekend’s season finale, with the organisation revealing they have created a trophy bearing his name in recognition of his accomplishments across the world’s courses. Known as the Rory McIlroy Award, the accolade will be introduced from next year onwards – and will go to the DP World Tour player who delivers the strongest performance across the sport’s four major championships throughout the season.
McIlroy could win the Race to Dubai once more(Image: Getty Images)
While he won’t be eligible to claim the award himself, McIlroy expressed his delight upon learning of the tribute. He said: “To have something named after you, that will be presented to future generations of players, is a huge honour and it is very humbling. It certainly means a lot to me because the DP World Tour was where I started my career.
“I’ve always loved playing on it and, of course, representing Europe and the Tour in the Ryder Cup. I’m incredibly proud to be the first European to achieve the career Grand Slam. The majors represent the pinnacle of our sport, and I hope my success can inspire other DP World Tour members to chase and achieve their own dreams for years to come.
“I look forward to seeing who becomes the first recipient of this new award in 2026 and it will be another very proud moment for me personally to present the trophy to them.”
