Rory McIlroy will add another £629,000 to his millions the moment he tees off in Dubai - but it is not money that is driving the 23-year-old on in his already glittering career.
“Winning, trying to be the best player that I can be, trying to win majors - that’s the real goal for me,” said golf’s world number one.
The six-figure cheque will be his once he starts the DP World Tour Championship as the end-of-season bonus for topping the European Tour money list.
He clinched that at the beginning of November, adding it to the PGA Tour number one spot he had in the bag without playing any of the last four events. That is how dominant he has been this year.
Luke Donald did the same double last season, but he had to go to the last day in both races to achieve the feat. McIlroy has done it at a canter.
With a second runaway major win also now on his record, the Ulsterman is such as force in the game - in all sport, come to that - that Nike are thought to be prepared to spend over £150million to get him using their clubs.
For his final event of 2012 McIlroy is still playing Titleist, but he added: “This is the last week that I will.”
Nick Faldo has warned of the dangers of switching, but the reigning USPGA champion is not worried.
“I’ve tinkered about enough to feel comfortable going into next season.
“I think all of the manufacturers make great equipment nowadays and it’s all very, very similar.”
The four majors are the top targets inevitably nexy year and McIlroy stated confidently: “I got one in 2011, I backed it up this year with another major-winning season and I would love to say 2013 will be similar.
“That’s the benchmark for me.”
The ultimate for further down the road if all goes well, of course, would be Jack Nicklaus’ 18 majors - or whatever mark Tiger Woods gets to.
But on that he stated: “I’ve always said I’m never going to put a number on it. I don’t want to do that.
“I just want to get my third and when I get my third I want to try to get my fourth.
“Obviously I’m halfway to the career Grand Slam, so that’s probably the next obvious goal for me.”
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