Despite a year to remember, US Open champion Rory McIlroy says he'll be glad when it's all over.
McIlroy still fighting to be No.1 but will be happy to put clubs away
Despite a year to remember, US Open champion Rory McIlroy says he'll be glad when it's all over.
McIlroy has been struggling with his energy levels for the past few weeks and underwent blood tests on his arrival in the Middle East from Hong Kong on Monday.
The results were given to him after his opening 66 and showed that both his platelet count and white blood cell count were low.
"I'm going to see a doctor again tomorrow night and she's going to determine whether I go to Thailand next week," the US Open champion and world number two said on Friday.
"They said it could have been Dengue fever (an illness transmitted by a mosquito bite and fatal in less than one per cent of all cases), food poisoning or a number of different things.
More time to recover
"My immune system is a little low and it's taking my body a bit more time to recover from it than it usually would."
McIlroy was assured, however, that if it was Dengue fever it was only a mild case because of the platelet count.
"It didn't go so low to say that I had a bad case of it, but to be honest I'm ready for the season to be done and looking forward to putting the clubs away."
First though he's trying to end the season on a high by overhauling Luke Donald at the top of the Race To Dubai standings.
The Northern Irishman, who kept his hopes alive with a win in Hong Kong last Sunday, needs to win this week's Dubai World Championship at the Earth Course but dropped five shots behind leader Alvaro Quiros at halfway after bogeying the final two holes in a one-under 71.
However, only Quiros at 12-under and Peter Hanson at eight-under are in front of McIlroy after 36 holes and he still has a great chance to keep his end of the bargain.
The Money list remains in Donald's hands though.
Donald, who needs to finish in a two-way for ninth to guarantee a money list double following his success on the PGA Tour, improved on his opening day 72 with a four-under 68 to move into a tie for 12th.
The World number one began with a bogey for the second day running and after three birdies in the next four holes dropped back again when failing to make par at the eighth.
But Donald finished with three straight birdies to stay within touching distance of the leaders and looks poised for a weekend push.
McIlroy was three-under for the day after 11 and looked on course to claim the halfway lead.
But while Quiros signed off birdie, par, eagle, poor chips on 17 and 18 cost McIlroy bogeys at the final two holes and left him five back.
