It’s going to get a bit noisy
My army will match Rory’s cheerleaders today, says Sullivan
ANDY SULLIVAN had to look several times at the drawsheet when he was paired with Rory McIlroy in the first round of the Dubai Desert Classic in February. ‘I thought there must be some mistake,’ he said at the time. ‘What was I doing with him?’
This afternoon the pair will stride out together once more in Dubai in the final group at the DP World Tour Championship but this time no-one, not even the self-deprecating Midlander, could possibly argue he doesn’t belong.
On the one hand we have the Race to Dubai leader, who placed a firm grip on that title yesterday with a wondrous 65; on the other, the only three-time winner on the European Tour this season.
McIlroy could walk away with £2.1million this afternoon but it’s the victory he’s really after to get his career back on track.
‘We all know it hasn’t been the season I wanted but it would mean an awful lot to go into the Christmas break on a high,’ he said. ‘Another tournament win, that’s what I really want. I’ve got one round left so let’s make it count.’
McIlroy in his pomp and drawing cheers that echoed around the course would have unnerved many leaders but not Sullivan (right), who posted a 68 of his own to maintain a narrow onestroke advantage, with American Patrick Reed a further two stokes adrift.
Spare a thought for Danny Willett, McIlroy’s closest pursuer in the Race to Dubai, who shot 67 to move into a tie for sixth. He has to finish above McIlroy but starts the final round four shots back.
When McIlroy plays like he did yesterday, there’s still no-one in the game who can touch him for ballstriking. Indeed, it was hard not to feel sorry for his playing partner, Thai Thongchai Jaidee, who was playing his second shots from so far behind McIlroy’s he almost looked like a pro-am partner by comparison.
Take the par four 16th, which has a bunker splitting the fairway some 300 yards from the tee. Jaidee’s drive bounced three times before trickling into the sand. McIlroy’s pitched 50 yards over the bunker, eventually coming to rest 376 yards from the tee.
While McIlroy was powering through the gears, Sullivan was showing his pugnacious side, rescuing his round with two late birdies, one at the 17th where he holed from 20ft and turned to his supporters, known as ‘Sully’s Army,’ placing his hands behind his ears to ask them to ramp up the noise. Asked how he would cope with McIlroy’s length off the tee today, he smiled and said: ’Knocking it in close first should help. It’s going to be great. There’s no pressure on me. I’m not expected to win so I can just go out there and enjoy my day with the world’s best player. I know he will have a lot of support but don’t worry, my boys make a lot of noise.’
It should be some day.