Danny Willett disappointed after missing out on Race to Dubai win

Danny Willett is already looking ahead to next season after missing out on Race to Dubai victory with a disappointing finish to the DP World Tour Championship.

The world No 21 came in to this week's event needing to finish above Rory McIlroy to have any chance of becoming European No 1, but ended in a six-way tie for fourth as the Northern Irishman claimed a one-shot victory. 

Willett, who has been in the top two of the Race to Dubai standings all season, got off to a strong start by following three birdies in his opening eight holes with another at the tenth, but finished eight shots off the pace after a frustrating back nine. 

Having missed a series of birdie chances around the closing stretch, Willett posted back-to-back bogeys from the 16th and two-putted the par-five last. 

The Englishman previously suggested McIlroy had an unfair advantage by being able to miss one of the Final Series events, although had no complains about the Northern Irishman's victory. 

"I started the day quickly like we'd hoped, but just hit a bit of a stale patch again on the last few holes," Willett said. "I didn't finish great, but I guess if someone had told me I'd finish fourth and see where that gets me, I might have taken it.

"There was a point after the tenth where we were getting close but every time I looked at the leaderboard, the lads were keep making birdies and three and four shots in front.

"Can't dwell too much on a bit of a bad finish to a pretty good 52 weeks. Rory's played some great golf all week.

"I hold my hands up and say I gave it my best shot, but unfortunately we are going to come up shy, but hopefully next year we're in a similar position."

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Willett will now take a week off and miss the season-opening Alfred Dunhill Championship in South Africa, before returning to action at the Nedbank Golf Challenge where he is the defending champion.

"I don't really set targets for years and stuff," Willett added. "But we'll just be doing the same as what we've been doing, working hard, doing all the right things, living right, doing everything we can to obviously keep climbing up the world rankings.

"My game is in good shape. I just hope a few more things go my way to start off another season."