McIlroy vulnerable at front of Race to Dubai

World number three Rory McIlroy will be an interested spectator as the third event of the European Tour’s Final Series gets under way in China on Thursday.

McIlroy leads Danny Willett by just 74,213 points as he looks to win the Race to Dubai for the third time in four years, but is not playing in the BMW Masters at Lake Malaren.

Willett can claim top spot heading into the season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai by finishing 28th or better in the 78-man field in Shanghai, while Shane Lowry, Louis Oosthuizen and Justin Rose need to finish second or better and Branden Grace requires a win.