Twelve months ago Rory McIlroy arrived in Dubai as the world number one having won his second major title by eight shots and being just days away from a fifth victory of the season that secured the money list titles on both sides of the Atlantic.
One year on he is back at Jumeirah Golf Estates as the world number six, without a win all season and an also-ran in the Race to Dubai coming to terms with a frustrating campaign.
“It’s been an interesting year,” McIlroy said with considerable understatement ahead of the DP World Tour Championship, an event he won last year with five birdies in the last five holes.
“A lot of stuff has gone on, both on and off the course. Every year that I’ve come here, apart from 2010, I’ve been in the mix to win the Race to Dubai. It’s a little bit different coming in this week and not having much to play for (he is 46th), but I still want to try to finish the season off really strongly.
“I feel like this course really suits my game. I know it would be a great way to cap off the European season with a win.”
The major distraction off the course for McIlroy is an ongoing legal wrangle with his former management company, a situation which he admits has had an impact on the course.
The 24-year-old has also struggled to get the best out of his new Nike equipment after signing a multi-million pound endorsement deal in January, while he walked off the course during the second round of his defence of the Honda Classic.
McIlroy did finish second in the Texas Open the week before the Masters, but was 25th there and 41st at the US Open, where he broke a club in frustration.
He also missed the cut in the Open at Muirfield and labelled his own play brain dead, while even a share of eighth place in the defence of his US PGA title was not enough to help him qualify for the Tour Championship on the PGA Tour, which is limited to the leading 30 players in the money list.
“There’s definitely been a few things that have impacted on my performance on the course,” McIlroy added. “I’ve had a few different things to think about and different things that occupy your head that really shouldn’t.
“It’s something that will be sorted out hopefully sooner rather than later. That’s the way it is and comes with the territory I guess.
“I’ve got people to handle that sort of stuff for me and I only see a fraction of it, the stuff that I really want to see. But again it’s something that shouldn’t be in my mind. It’s something that I don’t really think any athlete or anyone should ever go through.”