Willett closes gap on McIlroy

Danny Willett admits he now has Rory McIlroy firmly in his sights as he eyes top spot in the Race to Dubai.

The Yorkshireman produced a stunning final round of 62 on Sunday at Sheshan International to claim a tie for third at the HSBC Champions.

McIlroy himself fired a closing 66 to earn a share of 11th but the result means he now only has an advantage of 74,213 in the Race to Dubai standings, with just two events of the season remaining.

The Northern Irishman has not entered into next week’s BMW Masters in Shanghai, meaning Willett could head into the final week of the season top of the standings.

After his stunning round on Sunday, the 28-year-old admitted that he was delighted with his performance and conceded that his closing 62 could play a huge role in closing the gap on the world number three.

“It’s very special,” Willett is quoted as saying by the Sheffield Star. “It’s special shooting 62 at home with the lads, it’s always nice, but in a World Golf Championships on a Sunday when it means something a bit more, obviously it’s that little bit more special.

“Third here could be big for me. Especially with Rory not playing next week, we could climb a few more points on him and give us a nice buzz going into the next week in Dubai.”

Tagged Danny Willett, Rory McIlory