Rory McIlroy once again made history on November 16 by winning the Race to Dubai for the seventh time in his career. This remarkable achievement places him second on the all-time list for Race to Dubai title wins, just behind Colin Montgomerie, who has claimed the title eight times. With this seventh victory, the 36-year-old Northern Irish golfer also surpassed the legendary Spanish golfer Seve Ballesteros, who won the Race to Dubai six times during his career.
In a recent interview with Sky Sports, McIlroy shared how emotional it is for him to have accomplished such a tremendous milestone. He revealed that he spoke with Carmen, Ballesteros’ ex-wife, who expressed that if Seve were still alive, he would have been extremely proud of McIlroy’s achievement.
According to the official Sky Sports website, Rory McIlroy said,
“It [overtaking Ballesteros] is amazing. I had a conversation with Carmen [Ballesteros’ ex-wife] before I went out to play today, and she told me how proud he would have been. He means so much to this Tour and the European Ryder Cup team. We rally so much around his spirit and around his quotes and everything he meant for European golf.”
McIlroy also reflected on the significance of equaling and now surpassing Ballesteros, adding,
“To equal him last year was cool, but to surpass him this year, I didn’t get this far in my dreams, so it’s very cool.”
Looking ahead, McIlroy shared his ambition to surpass Colin Montgomerie and become the golfer with the most Race to Dubai victories.
### Rory McIlroy Aims to Become the Winningest European Golfer
Following his milestone win over Seve Ballesteros, Rory McIlroy is now eyeing the record for the most Race to Dubai titles. During the same Sky Sports interview, McIlroy spoke optimistically about this goal, believing it is well within his reach.
The 2025 Masters champion said,
“I want it (record number of Order of Merits), of course I do. I caught up with Monty [Colin Montgomerie] this week when he was here a couple of days ago. It seems within touching distance now. I’d love to be the winningest European in terms of Order of Merits and season-long races. I’ve probably got a few more good years left in me, and hopefully I can catch him and surpass him.”
### Performance at the DP World Tour Championship
At the DP World Tour Championship, Rory McIlroy showed outstanding form, finishing tied for first place with a total score of 18 under par. However, the tournament did not end in his favor during the playoffs. McIlroy made a bogey on the first hole of the playoff, which handed the victory to Matt Fitzpatrick.
Despite the playoff disappointment, McIlroy’s seventh Race to Dubai win and his ongoing pursuit to become the most successful European golfer in season-long events highlight his exceptional career and dedication to the sport. Fans and followers of golf will undoubtedly be watching closely as he continues to chase new records in the years to come.
https://www.sportskeeda.com/golf/news-rory-mcilroy-gets-emotional-surpassing-seve-ballesteros-winning-seventh-race-dubai-title