Race to Dubai leaderRory McIlroy returns to European shores for the launch of the Final Series, and the Northern Irishman will play the first two rounds of the Turkish Airlines Open alongside rankings challengerDanny Willett and Ireland’sShane Lowry.
McIlroy, who last played on The European Tour in his return from an ankle injury at August’s US PGA Championship, leads Willett by 271,214 points with four events of the season remaining, and the pair will go head to head over the first two days at the Montgomerie Maxx Royal in the company of WGC-Bridgestone Invitational winner Lowry at 1055 on Thursday morning.
Elsewhere, in the group preceding McIlroy and co. at 1045, recent winnersThorbørn Olesen and Andy Sullivan are paired Ryder Cup starJamie Donaldson.
Winner of the inaugural Turkish Airlines Open back in 2013, enigmatic FrenchmanVictor Dubuissonhits the fairways at 1035 alongside BMW PGA Champion and Rookie of the Year contenderByeong Hun An and Scotland’sMarc Warren, while European Ryder Cup skipperDarren Clarkechaperones Dubai Duty Free Irish Open victorSøren Kjeldsenand England’sChris Woodfrom 1025.
After a whirlwind August and September, in which he won twice in as many starts, Belgium’sThomas Pietersis back in action from 1135 on Thursday with former Masters winnerCharl Schwartzel and England’sTommy Fleetwood, while Thai veteranThongchai Jaideeaccompanies British Masters championMatthew Fitzpatrickand, fresh from his late dash across the world to play in last week’s UBS Hong Kong Open, Ian Poulter, who finished runner-up here 12 months ago.
In the final group out from the tenth tee at 1155 on Thursday, Ryder Cup team-matesGraeme McDowell and Lee Westwoodtee it up alongside Austria’s Bernd Wiesberger.
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