South African Thriston Lawrence is Rory McIlroy’s nearest challenger in the DP World Tour’s Race to Dubai rankings.
Lawrence famously crashed out of the BMW PGA Championship on the first playoff hole, allowing McIlroy and Billy Horschel to run it back down Wentworth’s 18th before the American eventually landed a historic victory.
The extra hole in Surrey was the only time Lawrence had shared a fairway with McIlroy until this week in Abu Dhabi. The 27-year-old is 11 under after the first two rounds, one shot clear of the Northern Irishman.
| Race to Dubai ranking | Player | Race to Dubai points – 2024 |
| 1 | MCILROY, Rory | 4,532.33 |
| 2 | LAWRENCE, Thriston | 2,959.94 |
| 3 | HØJGAARD, Rasmus | 2,612.05 |
| 4 | HORSCHEL, Billy | 2,480.00 |
| 5 | FLEETWOOD, Tommy | 2,066.01 |
| 6 | MANASSERO, Matteo | 2,039.03 |
| 7 | NORGAARD, Niklas | 2,027.03 |
| 8 | SVENSSON, Jesper | 1,977.34 |
| 9 | MACINTYRE, Robert | 1,975.65 |
| 10 | HOSHINO, Rikuya | 1,820.11 |
Lawrence praised McIlroy before Thursday’s first tee in the UAE, and now the soon-to-be PGA Tour rookie has revealed what it’s been like playing with the four-time major winner.
Thriston Lawrence shares honest Rory McIlroy thoughts
Speaking during his post-round press duties on Friday, Lawrence initially revealed that McIlroy was his idol growing up.
“Yeah, it was great,” Lawrence said. “I still remember I saw going to the Nedbank Golf Challenge on my birthday, and he was my idol at the time and taking my picture with him.”
The South African went on to praise McIlroy’s consistency after watching him for the first two rounds in Abu Dhabi.
“And now playing alongside him, it’s a dream come true for me, and it’s just great to see him play, and I see how consistent he is. Yeah, it was a great two days,” Lawrence added.
Race to Dubai: Can Thriston Lawrence catch Rory McIlroy
Lawrence, who is statistically the best putter on the DP World Tour, will have to produce something pretty special if he’s to catch McIlroy and win the order of merit.
The Northern Irishman is nearly 1500 points ahead, which probably means Lawrence needs to win either this weekend in Abu Dhabi or next week at Jumeirah Golf Estates.
Even if the 27-year-old comes up short, 2024 will still be a memorable year. Lawrence will play on the PGA Tour next season and will have the chance to compete against the best players in the world.
Despite not tasting victory since the 2023 BMW International Open, Lawrence finished runner-up five times in 2024 and placed solo fourth at The Open Championship.
The signs are certainly positive, and the South African star could be one to watch for the US-based fans once he moves stateside.
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