Billy Horschel, known for his fiercely competitive spirit and unshakable confidence, is all set to hit the fairways at the DP World Tour Championship—a ‘special event,’ as he puts it, and one that promises to close out the 2024 Race to Dubai with a bang.
Coming off the high of his second BMW PGA Championship win at Wentworth, where he edged out Rory McIlroy and Thriston Lawrence in a gripping play-off, Horschel is eyeing yet another overseas trophy at Jumeirah Golf Estates.
Ranked 15th globally, Horschel’s September triumph at the historic Wentworth Club wasn’t just a win; it was a reminder of his prowess, especially against top-ranked opponents like McIlroy and Lawrence, who lead the Race to Dubai Rankings in Partnership with Rolex.
Now, on Dubai’s Earth Course, he’s hoping to clinch back-to-back Rolex Series titles—no small feat in a field packed with talent.
Billy Horschel: I’m excited to be here. It’s their last event of the year. It means a lot to everyone who gets here. It’s very similar to our TOUR Championship on the PGA TOUR.
When I won Wentworth, this wasn’t on my schedule originally and then when I won, I felt like I needed to make sure I show up and attend a special event, and that’s what I’m doing.
I’m looking forward to hopefully a great week. I haven’t done a lot of practise over the last month. I’m a little rusty on the greens but we’ll just see what happens.
I support this tour. I love this tour. I think the world of this tour. But at the same time, I don’t support this tour 20-plus events out of the year.
Obviously the PGA TOUR is where I play mostly but I want to make sure that these guys understand how special this tour is, how special I think it is, and then what I think of them as golfers. I think they are really great players out here.
The event is shaping up to be a blockbuster, bringing in some of the year’s best performers. Among them is Robert MacIntyre, fresh from a standout season marked by wins on both sides of the pond.
The Scotsman snagged his first PGA TOUR victory at the RBC Canadian Open with his dad, Dougie, carrying his bag and then returned home to claim the Genesis Scottish Open title in July, a win that made him the first Scot since Colin Montgomerie in 1999 to seize the title.
MacIntyre is part of a powerful lineup that includes seven members from Europe’s victorious Ryder Cup squad, led by captain Luke Donald. The Scotsman’s grit and steady rise underscore his potential to wrap up an unforgettable season with a strong finish in Dubai.
Robert MacIntyre: It’s been a hell of a year. I probably couldn’t have scripted what’s happened to be honest, from obviously the Ryder Cup, and the Ryder Cup until now has been an absolute roller coaster.
I’ve dreamed of having a season like this but is the reality going to happen, you never really think it will happen. But it’s been probably the fairy tale situations in pretty much a year. It’s been a hell of a time.
I feel great. Game is in good shape. A couple of tweaks here and there. Last week was obviously good. I was in a position, I felt, going into the weekend with a chance, going into Sunday had somewhat of a chance.
Obviously Paul had an unbelievable week and great Sunday finish. So it really took it out of any hands there but I pushed hard at the end and kind of accepted that it was good or bad.
If I pulled it off, I had a chance, and if it didn’t come off, we were potentially making bogey if not double, and that’s what happened on Sunday.
I’m happy with it. I took it on. It didn’t work out, and go again this week. And if I have a chance come the sixth hole on Sunday, then we’ll do the same thing. We’ll either go for it or we don’t.
And he’s not alone. Tommy Fleetwood, Dubai’s own resident golf star, has the added advantage of local knowledge as he goes after his second win this year in his adopted city.
The seven-time DP World Tour winner came close last year, finishing second to Ryder Cup teammate Nicolai Højgaard at the DP World Tour Championship.
Fleetwood’s 2024 season has already been exceptional, highlighted by a win at the Dubai Invitational in January and a Silver Medal from the Olympic Games in Paris.
The DP World Tour Championship is also the final leg of the first-ever DP World Tour Play-Offs, bringing together the top 50 players on the Race to Dubai Rankings for one last showdown.
Aside from the tournament trophy and the Race to Dubai crown, there’s an extra incentive: PGA TOUR cards. The top ten non-exempt players in the Race to Dubai Rankings will earn the coveted dual membership.
For players like Horschel, whose eyes are fixed on victory, and for the entire roster of talent fighting for dual PGA TOUR status, the stakes couldn’t be higher.
