Rory McIlroy is determined to try and make up the ground lost on Patrick Reed as he continues his challenge for a record-equalling eighth Race to Dubai crown at the BMW PGA Championship.
The Major Championship-winning duo reunited again on the DP World Tour stage last week at the Amgen Irish Open, with Reed strengthening his lead at the top of the season-long rankings with a runner-up finish as McIlroy faded over the weekend to finish in a tie for 41st on his title defence in Doonbeg.
Focus has quickly shifted to the third Rolex Series event of the season, with an increased 8,000 Race to Dubai Rankings Delivered by DP World points on offer at Wentworth Club as both players take their place in a stellar international field.
Patrick had a good week, and I didn't have such a great week. I'm going to have to try to make up for that this week.
With McIlroy not in action again until the DP World India Championship next month, and Reed set to play at the FedEx Open de France and Alfred Dunhill Links Championship before then, the Northern Irishman is aware of the importance attached to this week as he bids to draw alongside Colin Montgomerie's haul of Harry Vardon Trophies.
"Obviously I'm in a very fortunate position, I guess, to be going for an eighth Race to Dubai," said McIlroy, who could overtake Reed with a runner-up finish this week.
"I can't believe I'm sitting here with seven. So, yeah, I'd love to give myself a chance again.
"Last week wasn't a great week for me in terms of the overall points. Patrick had a good week, and I didn't have such a great week. I'm going to have to try to make up for that this week.
"I'm certainly motivated to play well for the rest of the year. Still working on some things in my swing, so just trying to have a balance between still keeping an eye on that but trying to play my best golf and give myself some chances to win.
"It doesn't matter who's up there. I think being second right now and being a little ways off first, that's motivation enough to try to finish the year off well."
After winning the Masters for the first time last year to complete the career Grand Slam, McIlroy spoke openly about struggling to stay engaged in the immediate aftermath as a brief lull in form by his own standards followed.
But the 37-year-old peaked again at last year's Ryder Cup and has since dismissed the notion that his motivation to perfom on the sport's biggest stages has waned.
Earlier this year, he won the Green Jacket for a second time as he made a successful title defence at Augusta National, and while the Race to Dubai crown is unquestionably high on the agenda, he is also thinking about more functional matters that will assist in his quest to become European Number One again.
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"I think you always need like an objective or a slightly longer term goal to then structure your practice and inform what you're going to do," he said
"I think if there's no real plan in place, you can get almost too curious and go down too many different avenues when looking on ways to improve.
"It would be hard if you're practising and not really able to quantify if you're moving towards that goal or if you're getting further away from it.
"But the goals are, I think in this period of the year for me, more about where is the club halfway back? Where is it at the top of the swing? Those are sort of more of the goals. Again, as I said, there's a balance there between goals from a practice standpoint and a technical standpoint and then goals from a playing standpoint.
"Sometimes when you spend so much time on the practice and the technical side of things, trying to free yourself up and clear your mind of those thoughts and just go out and play instinctive golf, that's sometimes difficult to do. So that's the balance I'm trying to strike."
World Number Two McIlroy is the top-ranked player in a field that features 11 of the top 20 on the Official World Golf Ranking, bidding to claim the 22nd DP World Tour victory of his career.
Since his debut at the BMW PGA Championship in 2008, McIlroy has built an enviable record that has seen him win the title in 2014 and finish runner-up on three occassions.
Last year, he finished in a tie for 20th, ending a run of five consecutive top tens, and the four-time Rolex Series winner is eager to put on a show for the big crowds expected at the home of the DP World Tour.
"It's always nice to be back, I guess even more meaningful now that we have a home here," he said.
"It really does feel like a home event. I haven't always had the best of times around the West Course, but certainly over the last few years I've played well here, given myself some chances to win.
"I feel it's a great event. A great field is always assembled, and we always play in front of an amazing atmosphere. Honestly, it's one of my favourite weeks of the year. Looking forward to getting going again."
