DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Rory McIlroy is planning to round off his season as the European number one with a winning performance at the DP World Tour Championship this week.

Top of the standings, McIlroy is in pole position among seven players with a chance of winning the Race to Dubai on Sunday after the last event of the European Tour season at Jumeirah Golf Estates.

McIlroy, who missed last week’s BMW Masters in Shanghai, leads England’s Danny Willett by 1,613 points. He needs to finish ahead of Willett, and inside the top-three in case any of the next five players win the tournament, to secure his third European number one crown.

“I didn’t quite think I’d be in this position, especially after taking the week off last week,” McIlroy said Tuesday. “But a few of the guys didn’t capitalize on that in China thankfully and I find myself in a position where it’s totally in my hands.

“If I go out and win the tournament, I win the overall thing no matter what anybody else does, and that’s a nice position to be in. I just want to win the tournament. I don’t care who finishes second, who finishes third.”

McIlroy’s bid for the European title has been hampered by an ankle injury this year ruled him out of three tournaments that would have counted toward the Race to Dubai – the Scottish Open, British Open and WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.

He has played only 11 events this season and needed special intervention from the European Tour to get into the $8 million DP World Tour Championship.

The event is open only to the top-60 players on the Race to Dubai who have met the minimum requirement of having played at least 12 events.

McIlroy will not be playing any tournaments after this one until the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship from Jan. 21-24 next year.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – The European Tour is reducing the number of tournaments needed for players to maintain their membership from 13, a move designed to help those playing a full season on the U.S. PGA Tour.

European Tour chief executive Keith Pelley said Tuesday the move follows “significant dialogue with all of our players” and that the five tournaments will exclude the four majors and the four World Golf Championships.

The mandatory 13 starts was becoming difficult to achieve for players who had fallen outside the top-50 of the world ranking, thus making them ineligible for some of the majors and WGC events.

Explaining the move, Pelley said: “One of the reasons was simple: it is to help some of the players that have been entrenched in the US… This, I believe, will allow our players to schedule more efficiently, schedule at the beginning of the year, so they know exactly how they are going to maintain their membership.

“We are in the midst of structuring our overall Tour in a more, what I call, players-first philosophy. That will be something that will be absolutely critical for us.”

The new membership regulations will apply for the 2016 Race to Dubai schedule.

Speaking ahead of the season-ending WGC event at Jumeirah Golf Estates, Pelley also said the European Tour needed to match the financial draw of the US PGA, particularly for younger players breaking through on the circuit.

“At this particular time, if you are a young player, and you have done very well in the European Tour, and you want to make the most money, you are going to go play in America,” he said.

“You will ask: ‘How are you actually going to have our people play more often here in Europe’? The answer is very simple. We need to provide a viable alternative to the PGA Tour for our elite, medium and low-ranked players. End of story.”

BUCKEYE, Ariz. — On a day when all anyone wanted to talk about was the cold and breezy conditions at Verrado Golf Club in Buckeye, Ariz., Kevin Black just wanted to chat about how much he loved playing golf.

It probably didn’t hurt he posted an opening round 3-under-par 69 and leads the Titleist & FootJoy PGA Club Professional Championship of Canada.

“I just love to play golf and especially love playing in these big national championships,” said the head PGA professional at Redwood Meadows Golf & Country Club. “I definitely get that nervous feeling out there on the first tee, but I think it’s great too.”

Black’s impressive first round featured five birdies and a double-bogey on the par-5 15th. The 35-year-old said his game is suited for golf courses like Verrado.

“I’m pretty solid on golf courses where most guys have troubles because I’ll hit a lot of greens,” Black said. “The fairways are pretty wide here, so I was getting it in play off the tee and I putted pretty well too.”

Lurking one shot back of Black sits Danny King, a man whose game seems suited for just about every golf course in 2015. The soon-to-be 48-year-old captured this year’s PGA Championship of Canada at the famed Cabot Links and most recently won the PGA Team Championship with his partner Billy Walsh.

King is also a two-time winner of the PGA Club Professional Championship of Canada. The legendary Gar Hamilton (who is in the field this week) and Yvan Beauchemin hold the record for most PGA Club Professional Championship of Canada wins with four.

“It’d be awesome to get my name alongside Gar in the record books,” King said about the possibility of this third PGA Club Professional Championship of Canada win. “Gar’s always been a mentor of mine and I definitely look up to him.”

Dean North, James Skrypec, Gordon Burns and 2014 PGA Championship of Canada winner Dave Levesque are at 1 under, T3.

Situated in the foothills of the White Tank Mountains, crafted by PGA Tour star Tom Lehman and US Amateur Champion John Fought, the Verrado Golf Club is a spectacular course stretching to over 7,200 yards featuring stunning views, snug box canyons, and considerable elevation changes.

In addition to competing for the overall championship trophy, players in the PGA Club Professional Championship of Canada earn much-coveted ranking points with hopes of moving up on the PGA of Canada Player Rankings presented by RBC. Players who are ranked inside the top 64 following the PGA Club Professional Championship of Canada earn invites into next year’s PGA Championship of Canada at the Victoria Golf Club.

The Inter-Zone Team Championship, which is comprised of four players per zone (and three scores per team counting), is also handed out after 36-holes. Team Ontario—Ian Doig, Ron Kenesky, Matt Peavoy and King—hold a four-shot lead over Team Quebec—Levesque, Vincent Cacchione, Phillippe Mongeau and Eric Laporte—heading Tuesday’s second round.

BRUNSWICK, Ga. – Team Canada Young Pro Squad member Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C., qualified for the PGA TOUR’s RSM Classic on Monday at the Brunswick Country Club.

Svensson became one of four qualifiers after advancing via a five-way playoff at 2-under par. The 21-year-old will head to Sea Island Resort to vie for his share of the $5.7 million purse, with action getting underway Thursday.

The event will serve as a great test for Svensson as he prepares for the final stage of Web.com Qualifying School next month from Dec. 10–13. He punched his ticket to the final stage by finishing inside the top-10 of Mackenzie Tour’s Order of Merit this season thanks in part to four top-10 finishes.

Americans Gavin Coles, Matthew Atkins and Mark Anderson were the three other competitors to advance via the Monday qualifier.

Click here to view Monday qualifying results.

PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Mexico – Going more than two years without a win was enough time for Graeme McDowell to start asking himself the wrong questions.

Was his best golf behind him? Was he even good enough to win again?

He found his answer Monday morning in Mexico. McDowell made an 8-foot par putt on the 18th hole to stay in the game, and then he hit a 5-iron that grazed the edge of the cup and set up a 3-foot birdie to win a three-man playoff in the rain-delayed OHL Classic at Mayakoba.

“I dreamed of this day coming again,” McDowell said. “I thought it would be maybe not quite as soon as this, and I said to myself that I was really going to appreciate it. And I do appreciate it. This feels really nice.”

That par putt on the final hole of El Camaleon Golf Club gave McDowell a 5-under 66 to finish at 18-under 266. Even so, it looked as if that would only be good enough for second place. Russell Knox, coming off a victory last week in the HSBC Champions, had a one-shot lead and was full of confidence.

Knox, however, pulled his tee shot into the bunker in front of a steep lip, couldn’t quite reach the green and missed a 12-foot par putt for a 66. Jason Bohn made tough par putts on four of his last five holes for a 68 to join the playoff.

It didn’t last long.

McDowell, who looked tentative on tee shots and birdie putts over the final few holes, felt a surge of belief in the playoff. He drilled a 3-wood down the middle, and then wisely listened to caddie Ken Comboy, who recommended a 5-iron when McDowell wanted to hammer a 6-iron.

“It’s as good a 5-iron as I’ve hit in a long time,” McDowell said.

Knox missed the green to the left and failed to chip in. Bohn missed an 18-foot birdie putt. That left McDowell to tap in for his first victory since the 2013 French Open. And while it doesn’t compare with his 2010 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, it was more significant than just a PGA Tour event at the end of the year.

He was in the final year of his PGA Tour exemption, which was creeping into his mind. He had not finished in the top 10 in nine months dating to the Dubai Desert Classic. McDowell, who started the year at No. 15 in the world, plunged to No. 85 while trying to find the balance of golf and spending time with his wife and 1-year-old daughter.

“It’s been a rough year for all the right reasons,” he said. “I’ve been enjoying life off the golf course with my beautiful family. Golf hasn’t been the priority it should be. But the last three or four months I got back to where I want to be.”

McDowell and Knox were tied at 19 under when they returned Monday to complete the final round.

Knox birdied the par-5 13th to pull ahead, only to drop a shot on the tough 14th with a tee shot into the left rough and wind so strong that he couldn’t reach the green.

McDowell was well short on a 12-foot birdie putt for the lead on the par-3 15th, and he looked even more tentative on the next hole when he three-putted from 45 feet, leaving his first putt some 10 feet short. It looked as though he wouldn’t get another chance.

“Russell Knox is free swinging coming off the best week of his life,” McDowell said when he finished his round.

Knox made a tough up-and-down for par on the 17th hole by making a 5-foot putt into the thick, wet grain. But his chip was short on the 18th, the par putt for his second straight victory was left all the day, and that was the opening McDowell needed.

Derek Fathauer, the 54-hole leader, birdied the last hole for a 71 to finish two shots behind.

McDowell wasn’t planning on playing in Mexico except for his poor year. He failed to qualify for the FedEx Cup playoffs, and he chose to skip the final two events on the European Tour because of his mediocre standing in the Race to Dubai. The idea was to put 2015 behind him and get an early start on the new PGA Tour season.

It turned out to be a great decision.

The victory assures McDowell will be in the Masters next year, along with the PGA Championship and The Players Championship. Ranking points from those events will come in handy during qualifying in 2016 for the Ryder Cup and for the Olympics.

ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. – The son of Davis Love III will make his PGA Tour debut next week at the tournament where his father is the host.

Dru Love – his given name is Davis Love IV – has received a sponsor exemption to the RSM Classic at Sea Island, the final PGA Tour event of the year.

Love plays for Alabama and won the Puerto Rico Classic this year. He also won the Georgia State Amateur Championship on the Seaside Course at Sea Island, the main course for the RSM Classic.

The RSM Classic is being held on two courses at Sea Island this year because the tournament wanted to be sure everyone with full tour status got in. At the commitment deadline Friday, Mark Hensby was first alternate.

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – Team Canada’s duo of Eric Banks and Tony Gil defied the odds on Sunday at the Los Lagartos Country Club, climbing back from a three-stroke deficit to keep the Tailhade Cup in Canada for a second consecutive year.

The comeback was sparked by Development Squad member Tony Gil of Vaughan, Ont., who posted a 1-under 70 for the day’s lowest score—boosting Canada to a one-stroke victory over runner-ups Brazil and Australia. Collectively, the Canucks finished at 7-over (149-139-145).

Eric Banks, a 23-year-old Truro, N.S., product, put forth a solid effort all week, finishing at 1-over par overall (71-68-75) to share individual runner-up honours. Gil, 17, jumped up the individual leaderboard after Sunday’s final round to finish T14 at 6-over. Argentina’s Simaski Matias took home medalist honours, finishing as the only competitor under-par for the tournament at 1-under.

The win marks the second consecutive title for Canada—Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., and dual-citizen Austin Connelly from Irving, Texas won the trophy in 2014 by a margin of 19 strokes.

Click here for team scoring.

Click here for individual scoring.

PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Mexique – Russell Knox a réalisé six oiselets en 11 trous et était à égalité avec Graeme McDowell lorsque la noirceur est venue interrompre la quatrième ronde de la Classique OHL à Mayakoba, dimanche.

McDowell a réussi un oiselet au 13e trou, une normale-5, avant qu’il ne soit trop tard pour poursuivre. Knox allait amorcer le 13e. Les deux golfeurs affichaient un score cumulatif de moins-19.

Ce sera le deuxième tournoi de la PGA en autant de semaine qui sera conclu un lundi en raison de la pluie. Ça ne s’est pas produit en 10 ans.

Knox a gagné le tournoi HSBC Champions la semaine dernière, à Shanghai. Il peut devenir le premier joueur depuis Camilo Villegas en 2008 à remporter ses deux premiers titres sur le circuit de la PGA en l’espace de deux semaines.

Jason Bohn était à moins-17 après 12 trous. Derek Fathauer, qui menait après trois rondes, jouait plus-1 et était à quatre coups des meneurs.

Le Canadien David Hearn était également au 13e trou et affichait un score cumulatif de moins-1. Il occupait le 70e échelon.

MEXICO CITY – Inbee Park won the Lorena Ochoa Invitational on Sunday, holding off Carlota Ciganda for her fifth victory of the season and 17th LPGA Tour title.

The second-ranked South Korean star birdied the final two holes for a bogey-free 8-under 64 and a three-stroke victory over Ciganda in cloudy conditions at tree-lined Club de Golf Mexico.

“It was definitely the putter. It was really good this week,” Park said. “I made a lot of birdies this week. It was a lot of fun today with Carlota playing so well. … It was almost a perfect day today. I didn’t make any mistakes, so I was able to focus on my game.”

Ciganda shot a 63. The Spaniard eagled the par-5 second hole and had eight birdies and a bogey.

“I did the best I could,” Ciganda said. “I putted really well today. I think that was the key. … Inbee played unbelievable and she has lots of experience. She knows how to win.”

The former Arizona State player is winless on the LPGA Tour.

Park finished at 18-under 270. She was making her first start since withdrawing in China two weeks ago because of a cyst on her left middle finger.

Tournament host Ochoa won 27 LPGA Tour titles. She retired in 2010.

“Winning this tournament is such an honor,” Park said.

Park took the lead from top-ranked Lydia Ko in the Vare Trophy standings for season scoring average and moved within three points of Ko in the player of the year standings. Park earned $200,000 and is second on the money list with $2,570,096.

Ko skipped skipping the tournament to rest for her title defense next week in the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship in Naples, Florida.

South Korea’s Sei Young Kim was third at 13 under after a 66.

So Yeon Ryu, also from South Korea, shot a 67 to finish fourth at 11 under.

Canada’s Alena Sharp tied for 29th at 7 over.

SHANGHAI – Kristoffer Broberg wasn’t happy with his putting last week when he was practicing at home in Sweden, so he made an abrupt change. He looked in his coach’s wife’s bag and decided to give her putter a try.

On Sunday, Broberg made the biggest putt of his career to beat Patrick Reed in a playoff to win the BMW Masters for his first European Tour title.

Broberg and Reed both finished regulation play at 17-under 271 after an afternoon of fine shot-making and dramatic momentum shifts that saw five players briefly share the lead on the back nine. In the playoff, the Swede hit his tee shot straight down the fairway for an easy approach to the pin and a 15-foot birdie putt for victory.

“Last week, in my coach’s studio in Sweden, I was putting indoors and was like I’m not putting good, so I just look in my coach’s wife’s bag,” he said. “So I just tried (her putter) and the stroke was much, much better and the technique, so I just keep it. And it was pretty good.”

Broberg certainly made the putts when it mattered on Sunday, while his rivals came up just short.

Reed surged into a share of the lead with the shot of the day – a stunning eagle from the bunker on the par-5 15th – and then birdied the 16th hole to move one stroke clear of Broberg. But he faltered on his next hole, missing a 4-foot par putt that caught the edge of the hole and curled away.

Two other title contenders, Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee and South Korea’s An Byeong-hun, also barely missed birdie putts on the 18th green in regulation to get into the playoff.

For Broberg, the victory comes at just the right moment. He’d had three runner-up finishes on the European Tour over the past three years and was starting to doubt whether he’d ever get a breakthrough win.

Now he not only has a maiden title, he’s captured one of the four big-money tournaments in the European Tour’s Final Series and beaten some of the biggest names on the tour to do it, including Reed, Justin Rose, Sergio Garcia and Henrik Stenson.

“I didn’t trust myself. A few weeks ago, I was just like, ‘I’ll never win here.’ I was just so down,” said the Swede, who shot a 68 on Sunday. “This field is really good, so I’m just happy to beat all of them.”

Reed, meanwhile, was searching for answers after yet another disappointment on the final day of a tournament. The 2014 Cadillac Championship winner has five top-10 finishes in his last seven tournaments, but hasn’t come up with a trophy.

“All you can ask for is to have a chance come down late on Sunday and I’ve put myself in that position quite a bit recently and unfortunately haven’t gotten in the winner’s circle,” said the American, who shot a final-round 67. “It hurts, but at the same time, I know what I’m working on right now is definitely the right thing because I’m moving in the right direction. Just have to close one out.”

Thongchai (71) and An (70) finished in a share of third place with Stenson (68), who had five birdies in six holes on the back nine to move into contention, and Lucas Bjerregaard (70), who let an early two-stroke lead slip away.

Rose (67) and Paul Casey (69) were another stroke back in joint-seventh, while Garcia, who briefly had a share of the lead after holing a 25-foot eagle putt on the par-5 13th hole, slumped to equal-11th after carding a bogey and double bogey on his final two holes.

Play was halted briefly during the final round to observe a moment of silence for the victims of Friday’s terrorist attacks in Paris.

At noon, tournament officials blew the horns on the course, normally used to halt play due to inclement weather, and all the players took off their hats and bowed their heads for a minute of silence. Many also wore black ribbons on their caps.

“You realize there’s so much things more important than golf, for sure,” said France’s Benjamin Hebert, who wore a white hat with the words “Pray for Paris” written on it. “You wake up in the morning and you see that on Internet and TV and it’s just wow, it’s happened already this year, and you just don’t understand.

“But you can’t stop living, actually, and that’s the thing in France, we won’t stop living.”