Rory McIlroy to return to Yas Links for Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship

Rory McIlroy will look to finish the season on a positive note when he returns to Yas Links for the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, which takes place from November 7 to 10 at the end of the year.

The Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship is the first half of the DP World Tour Play-offs, a new two-event series that also includes the season-ending DP World Tour Championship.

The Abu Dhabi Championship returns to Yas Links for the third season, and this time the top 70 players in the Race to Dubai rankings will battle it out for a place in the final event of the season the following week.

McIlroy has his sights set on topping the Race to Dubai Rankings for the sixth time.

McIlroy, the current rankings leader, has booked his place in the penultimate event of the 2024 Race to Dubai thanks to his victory at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, the first Rolex Series event of the season, a runner-up finish at the Dubai Invitational, and strong performances at the first three majors.

The reigning European number one and four-time major champion will be looking to equal Seve Ballesteros’s six Harry Vardon Trophies, just two short of Colin Montgomerie’s record eight season-long titles.

“It’s no secret that I love playing golf in the Middle East and having the opportunity to play in these two events back-to-back will be a great way to end the season,” said McIlroy.

“I’d love to lift the trophy in Abu Dhabi and have the chance to top the Race to Dubai Rankings again.”

For now, the Northern Ireland star will be focusing on recovering from an epic US Open collapse which he described as one of the "toughest" days of his professional career.

McIlroy threw away a winning position at Pinehurst, allowing Bryson DeChambeau to claim a one-shot victory.

McIlroy