Rory McIlroy closing in on Order of Merit: ‘It would be amazing to match Monty’s record’

Rory McIlroy will put the clubs away again for a few weeks, at least competitively. The world No 2 does so happy in the knowledge that his tied-second-place finish in the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth sets him up for a strong finish to the season. As it stands, an eighth DP World Tour Order of Merit title is very much in his sights.McIlroy closed the gap on long-time Race to Dubai leader Patrick Reed to just 308 points – 3,423 to 3,115 – heading into the closing stretch of the season, which concludes with the Tour Championship in Dubai on November 12th-15th. Spain’s Eugenio Chacarra, in third with 2,587 points, also remains in the mix if somewhat adrift.Reed, the American who returned to the DP World Tour from LIV earlier this year, suffered a wrist injury which forced his withdrawal from the BMW PGA. McIlroy made the most of his rival’s weekend absence to make up ground in the standings. JJ Spaun was the tournament winner at Wentworth.The Northern Irishman claimed a seventh order of merit title last year to move one shy of equalling Colin Montgomerie’s record.READ MORE“I’m excited,” said McIlroy. “I have three events until the end of my DP World Tour season. I’m not sure what Patrick’s schedule looks like coming up, but I feel like I have enough opportunities.”Rory McIlroy moved to within 308 points of Order of Merit leader Patrick Reed with his tied-second-place finish in the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Golf Club, England. Photograph: Richard Heathcote/Getty Images McIlroy’s three remaining tournaments on the DP World Tour will be the India Championship and then the two final events of the season in the United Arab Emirates – the Abu Dhabi Championship and the Tour Championship in Dubai.“I’m going back to the golf course in India that I played for the first time last year, so I’ll know it a little bit better; and then going to Abu Dhabi and Dubai where I had a lot of success in my career,” he said. “I’m excited for the opportunity, and it would be obviously amazing to match Monty’s record."Reed, who injured his wrist when connecting with a tree root as he hit a shot, is not playing in this week’s French Open. He is, though, entered for the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland on October 1st-4th.Patrick Reed withdrew from last weekend's BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth after injuring his wrist when his club connected with a tree root mid-shot. Photograph: Warren Little/Getty Images A tied-seventh finish for Séamus Power in the Biltmore Championship on the PGA Tour – won by Jacob Bridgeman – strengthened the Waterford man’s bid for a stronger tour-card category in 2027, as he moved from 114th to 104th in the updated FedEx Cup Fall standings.With the Presidents Cup match between the USA and the International team taking place at Medinah this week, there is no regular tournament on the PGA Tour. It means Power’s next outing will be in the Bank of Utah Championship next week, where he will aim to carry on the momentum of only his second top-10 of the season.Leona Maguire returns to the LPGA Tour for this week’s Walmart Arkansas Championship at Pinnacle Country Club, her first outing since regaining the Solheim Cup with her European teammates in the Netherlands.Maguire is aiming for a strong finish to the season, which will take her on from Arkansas to the Lotte Championship in Hawaii and then a string of tournaments in Asia, including the Buick LPGA in Shanghai, the BMW LPGA in South Korea and Maybank Championship in Malaysia. She will finish the year with the Annika Championship and the CME Globe Tour Championship in November.Lauren Walsh, who had a top-10 finish in the weather-hit La Sella Open on the LET, returns to the LPGA Tour this week for the event in Arkansas. The Kildare woman is aiming to move up the order of merit in her own quest to make the Tour Championship.Five Irish players – Anna Foster, Sara Byrne, Áine Donegan, Olivia Mehaffey and Annabel Wilson – are scheduled to compete in this week’s Italian Open on the LET.