Rory McIlroy eyes world number one spot as he defends CJ Cup

If the numbers add up for Rory McIlroy this week in his defence of the limited field CJ Cup on the PGA Tour — where Shane Lowry and Séamus Power are also in the field at Congaree Golf Club in Ridgeland, South Carolina — the Northern Irishman could potentially return to number one in the official world rankings.

In a rich vein of form this year which has seen him win twice and feature 11 other top-10 finishes in his 20 appearances globally, McIlroy resumes PGA Tour action following his three tournaments in four weeks stretch on the DP World Tour.

McIlroy is the defending champion of The CJ Cup, which features just 78 players, although last year’s success came in Las Vegas. For McIlroy — who last held the number one spot in July 2020, his eighth stint in the position — to return to the top ranking, he will need to win or potentially finish solo second but also rely on how Scottie Scheffler fares.

This will be McIlroy’s first appearance of the new 2022/’23 wraparound schedule on the PGA Tour, after which he will change focus to attempt to win the DP World Tour’s Race to Dubai in which he is currently heading the order of merit with a significant lead over Matt Fitzpatrick.

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Having already won the FedEx Cup on the US circuit, McIlroy will be aiming to make it a double by adding the European Tour’s version (which he previously won in 2012, 2014 and 2015): “I’m really excited to return to the DP World Tour Championship, especially with a chance of winning the Harry Vardon Trophy for a fourth time. I have great memories of playing golf in Dubai, from making my first cut on tour as an amateur to winning my first DP World Tour title and then finishing top of the rankings on three occasions.

“To win both the DP World Tour rankings and the FedEx Cup in the same season would be a great achievement and would cap what has been a memorable year on the golf course,” said McIlroy.

For this week, though, his sights will be on making a successful defence of the CJ Cup. McIlroy has already made one successful defence of a title this season, which came at the Canadian Open but three years after his previous win in 2019 as the tournament wasn’t played in either 2020 or 2021 due to the Covid pandemic.

Lowry is also making a first appearance of the new PGA Tour season following his stint in Europe, which was headlined by his success in the BMW PGA at Wentworth. Power, currently 46th in the world, has played in the Sanderson Farms (tied-30th) and Shriners Children’s Open (missed cut).

The CJ Cup has attracted an exceptionally strong field, headed by world number one Scheffler and features 15 of the current top 20 in the world rankings.

On the LPGA Tour, Leona Maguire — who finished tied 18th behind winner Lexi Thompson in the Aramco Series in New York on the Ladies European Tour — is among those to make the long onward journey to South Korea for this week’s LPGA Tour stop, the BMW Ladies Championship Oak Valley Country Club.

Maguire remains 15th on the LPGA Tour’s Race to CME standings and will aim to improve that position before returning to the United States for the final two tournaments of the season, the Pelican Championship and the Tour Championship.

It is a measure, too, of how well Stephanie Meadow had performed this year that the Northern Irishwoman is also in this week’s 78-player limited field, as she too looks to improve her CME standings.

This week’s DP World Tour stop is the Mallorca Open, where Cormac Sharvin and Jonathan Caldwell are both in the field. Niall Kearney, as first reserve, will be hopeful of getting a place too.

With just one event left on the Challenge Tour (next month’s Grand Final), teenager Tom McKibbin — in 15th position in the standings with the top 20 earning full tour cards for next season — can enjoy a couple of weeks away from tournament play knowing that his season’s target is within touching distance.