McIlroy sets sights on extending lead

RORY McILROY will be hoping to extend his lead at the top of the Race to Dubai rankings at the Portugal Masters this week – but standing in his way is the strongest field in the tournament’s history.

The in-form Irishman’s joint runner-up finish at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship last week propelled him into pole position on the money list and, with his closest challengers Paul Casey and Martin Kaymer still out of action, McIlroy has the chance to strengthen his claim to be Europe’s No 1.

He will have to contend with a deep pool of golfing talent over Oceânico Victoria Golf Course on the Algarve, however, with Lee Westwood, Ross Fisher, Oliver Wilson, Simon Dyson and Søren Kjeldsen all currently in the top ten on The Race to Dubai.

The presence of major winners Pádraig Harrington and Retief Goosen, defending champion Alvaro Quiros plus star names such as Sergio Garcia, Colin Montgomerie, Robert Karlsson and Justin Rose will also give McIlroy some tough competition, but the 20 year old is feeling confident.

“I got off to a great start this year and I don’t think I’ve ever been out of the top ten in The Race to Dubai,” said McIlroy.

“It shows your consistency throughout the year, so if you do win The Race to Dubai or a money title, you know you’ve played well throughout the season without having too many hiccups along the way. It would be a huge honour. I’ll know that I’ve had a very, very good year and it would definitely be something to build on.”

Algarve property owners Pádraig Harrington, Darren Clarke, John Aldridge and Lee Westwood will be on hand today to celebrate the opening of Oceânico’s new Amendoeira Sports Club at the Irish company’s five star facility near Silves.

The Ryder Cuppers are in the Algarve on business, but will have a keen personal interest in the Amendoeira facilities, as they are all owners of property there.

The inauguration of the luxury Sports Club will be televised on Sky Sports and will include coverage of the Oceânico Par 3 Challenge on the Academy Course, which will see top golfing names compete, while local sports teams will be able to put the club’s full range of facilities to the test.

The Sports Club, part of the award winning Amendoeira Golf Resort, features a full size natural grass football pitch, two five-a-side Astro turf pitches with floodlighting as well as six championship standard tennis courts.

Also at the resort are two championship golf courses – one designed by Nick Faldo and one by Christy O’Connor Jnr – opened in October 2008 and already gaining worldwide recognition. The Sports Club have already been used this summer by Steve Bruce’s Sunderland.

Beamed Oceanico Group director Gerry Fagan: “The standard of the facilities here is second to none. From football to tennis and bowls, there is something for everyone.

“Amendoeira has already been recognised as the best golf development in the world, and with the opening of the new Sports Club it provides a complete range of leisure and golfing facilities, while creating a new sporting haven in the Algarve.”