ATLANTA -- Rory McIlroy, who is completing his 2013-14 PGA Tour season on Sunday at the Tour Championship, is set to begin his 2015 European Tour season in the Middle East.
The No. 1-ranked golfer in the world will headline the field at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, happening Jan. 15-18, where he has played each of the past seven years and has three times been runner-up without a victory.
The tournament, which announced the commitment, will celebrate its 10th anniversary.
The Abu Dhabi event is the first of three straight for the European Tour in the Middle East, followed by tournaments in Qatar and Dubai.
After the Tour Championship, McIlroy still has a hectic schedule to conclude 2014. Following the Ryder Cup in two weeks, he will play the European Tour's Dunhill Links Championship at St. Andrews, followed by the two-day Grand Slam of Golf in Bermuda. He then has three European Tour events -- two in Shanghai and the season-ending World Championship in Dubai.
After that, McIlroy will defend his Australian Open title in Sydney.