The fight to topple Rory McIlroy starts again on Thursday.

It’s not yet 2015, but the new European Tour season opens this week in South Africa at the Nedbank Golf Challenge in Sun City, with three former top-ranked players among those looking to get a jump on 2014 money list winner and No. 1 McIlroy.

Martin Kaymer and Lee Westwood return to the Gary Player Country Club in the wilderness of northern South Africa as previous winners. Luke Donald is still searching for a win at Sun City, which first offered rankings points on the European Order of Merit last season.

Along with those ex-No. 1s, Thomas Bjorn defends his title following the biggest payday of his career 12 months ago, when the Dane made two back-nine eagles on the last day to claim the hefty $1.25 million winner’s check.

Like a few others in the 30-man field, Germany’s Kaymer faces the balancing act of winding down a tiring 2014 schedule with the chance to kickstart his 2015 season. Kaymer won a second major at the U.S. Open at Pinehurst in June and was also part of Europe’s Ryder Cup-winning team in September.

“It has been a long season, probably the longest I’ve ever played,” he said. “There won’t be much practice this week as it’s just about conserving energy.”

But Kaymer will rely on “positive memories,” he said, after winning the Nedbank in 2012.

“When I play on Thursday, I’m not going to be tired on the golf course. Once the tournament starts, there’s no problem with motivation.”

Westwood was dominant on the Gary Player-designed layout to win back-to-back titles in 2010 and 2011.

The Englishman has been posting a string of photos from Sun City on his Twitter account over the past few days, saying the four flights he took to get to the resort he likes so much were well worth it.

“It’s always great coming back to a golf course where you’ve had success in the past,” he said.

Kaymer, Westwood and Bjorn are joined by fellow European Ryder Cup winners Jamie Donaldson and Stephen Gallacher, and Miguel Angel Jimenez, who was one of Paul McGinley’s vice captains at Gleneagles.

Three Americans hope to be the first U.S. winner since Jim Furyk in 2006: Brooks Koepka, Kevin Na and Brendon Todd, with Todd a late addition after Victor Dubuisson withdrew with injury over the weekend.

Koepka won his maiden European Tour title last month in Turkey and was rookie of the year, finishing eighth on the money list in his first full season on tour. There’s also a feeling the 7,831-yard (7,161-meter) Sun City design might suit the long-hitter, who called it a “neat course” after his first look.

“It plays to a lot of my strengths, which will be interesting as the week goes along,” Koepka said.

South Africans Charl Schwartzel and Louis Oosthuizen are the only other major winners in the field along with Kaymer. But fans’ hopes of a first home win at South Africa’s favorite tournament in seven years are low judging by their form.

“I’m working on a lot of things,” Schwartzel said. “If you ask me how my game is I won’t lie to you, it’s pretty average.”

The PGA Tour has smaller circuits in Latin America, Canada and China. Commissioner Tim Finchem spoke in 2010 about golf heading toward a “world tour,” even though he wasn’t sure what it would look like or when it would all come together.

It’s worth paying attention to the activity of players over the last month.

Brandt Snedeker was in Japan for the Bridgestone Open. Jordan Spieth was in Japan last week at the Dunlop Phoenix, and he’s at the Australian Open this week. Webb Simpson was in Japan. Jason Dufner went to Thailand.

Finchem wants to see golf get through the 2016 Olympics – and the schedule problems that will present – before looking too far ahead.

“We need at least two and maybe three years of looking at the schedule in this environment with the wraparound,” he said earlier this month in Shanghai. “We need that experience before we start tinkering. In terms of fundamental schedule, we’re at least another year away from starting to think about that.”

But when asked about a world tour, Finchem made it sound as though the three satellite tours could be part of a larger, global picture.

“I think what we’re going to do – and are doing – is watching carefully not just this tour in China, but also South America and Canada,” he said. “And we’re spending more time evaluating the other core tours – the Asian Tour, Australia, South Africa – understanding more about co-sanctioning between Europe and some of these other tours. We’re just asking ourselves, overall, what’s the best mix?”

“Those two things dovetail,” he said. “We need to get a better sense of what the Olympics are going to do on the weeks it’s played and the weeks around it. And then that kind of feeds into the world schedule.”

Finchem said it was a “possibility” of co-sanctioning an event in Australia, though it didn’t sound as if the PGA Tour was headed in that direction.

Australia now has four big events on world schedule – the Masters, Open and PGA, along with Perth on the European Tour. This week in Sydney features Nos. 1 and 2 in the world with Rory McIlroy and Adam Scott, along with Spieth.

“We’ve got more big events around the world that are linked to the PGA Tour,” Scott said. “I think the ball is really in their court as to what direction we want to go. It certainly has got the power to dictate to tournaments when they are and where they are. … If I was the Australian Open or one of the other tournaments, I’d be knocking on Tim Finchem’s door and trying to make it a World Golf Championship.”

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Henrik Stenson has successfully defended his DP World Tour Championship title at the European Tour’s season-ending event.

The Swede shot a final round 2-under 70 on Sunday to win by two strokes with an overall 16-under 272 on the Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates.

Three of Stenson’s teammates on Europe’s victorious Ryder Cup team – top-ranked Rory McIlroy (68), Victor Dubuisson (68) and Justin Rose (69) – shared second on 14-under 274.

The victory means Stenson finishes second to McIlroy in the Race to Dubai.

Rafa Cabrera-Bello (75) was leading with three holes to play but the Spaniard tumbled down the board with back-to-back double bogeys at Nos. 16 and 17 to finish tied for ninth with an overall 277.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Defending champion Henrik Stenson and Spain’s Rafa Cabrera-Bello opened up a three-shot lead after the third round of the season-ending DP World Tour Championship on Saturday.

Stenson posted four birdies in a 4-under 68 to join Cabrera-Bello who birdied four of his closing five holes in a 7-under 65. Both players have an overall 14-under 202 on the Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates.

England’s Justin Rose shot a 68 for third place, one shot clear of top-ranked Rory McIlroy (70), Victor Dubuisson (67), Tyrrell Hatton (68) and Thorbjorn Olesen (69).

McIlroy had back-to-back double bogeys at the 12th and 13th while Olesen was left counting the cost of an 18th-hole double bogey.

If he wins, Stenson will finish the 2014 European Tour season as runner-up to McIlroy in the Race to Dubai.

“To win would be very pleasing as I’ve had a solid year, but I haven’t got a trophy yet,” Stenson said. “There is still a lot of golf to play and Rafa, he’s had a 64 and a 65, so he seems to be on fire.”

The 30-year-old Cabrera-Bello, who had an opening round 73, is no stranger to winning in Dubai after capturing the Dubai Desert Classic title in 2012.

“The round was a little bit crazy, because I haven’t felt I’ve played perfect at all,” Cabrera-Bello said. “I had to work really, really hard, especially at the beginning but I managed to hang in there and end up shooting 3 under on the front nine when I could have easily shot 2 or 3 over.”

McIlroy remains quietly confident of a sixth victory this year despite the pair of double bogeys.

The four-time Major winner three-putted the par-four 12th hole and missed the green at the next. McIlroy had trouble with two wedge shots on the 13th and trails the leaders by four shots.

“It was just a bad swing firstly on 13 but it was annoying to follow up a double on 12 with another one on 13,” McIlroy said. “I was a little frustrated but it was nice to get a couple back on the last few holes, at least keep myself within touch going into tomorrow.”

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Henrik Stenson birdied two of his closing three holes to seize a two-shot lead over Rory McIlroy and two others in the second round of the World Tour Championship on Friday.

Stenson’s 6-under-par 66 put him at 10 under overall in his bid to defend a title for the first time.

The top-ranked McIlroy (70), Scotland’s Richie Ramsay (69) and England’s Danny Willett (67) were tied for second on 8 under at Jumeirah Estates.

Stenson birdied his opening two holes, dropped a shot at the fourth, birdied the fifth, and picked up more birdies at 10, 13, 16 and the last. He finished in style despite admitting to hitting the wall at the 12th hole.

“I felt like I was running out of steam. It was difficult mentally from there on. I had to really focus hard and drag myself over the finish line. I’m pleased with that,” Stenson said.

Besides seeking his ninth title, Stenson is working to finish second in the Race to Dubai that he topped last year. McIlroy has already clinched the European money title and, following a six-week layoff, has his sights set on winning the tour finale for the second time in three years.

He moved to 8 under with a first-hole birdie but stalled with 10 straight pars and a 12th-hole bogey. McIlroy birdied the 14th and 15th holes, dropped a shot at 16, birdied the 17th, and found water on the last.

“I just didn’t quite have it today,” he said. “I grinded out a score, which was the main thing. I’m still in a good position.”

Rafa Cabrera-Bello of Spain shot the low round of the day, a 64 that included five birdies in as many holes to commence his round, and an eagle at 14. He was tied for fifth on 7 under, along with Justin Rose (66), Sweden’s Kristoffer Broberg (67), Denmark’s Thorbjorn Olesen (70), and Ireland’s Shane Lowry (71).

Lowry recorded the first hole-in-one in the six-year history of the event, and his first in pro competition when he aced the par-three, 13th.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Top-ranked Rory McIlroy returned from a six-week absence to shoot a 6-under 66 for a share of the lead on the first day of the season-ending DP World Tour Championship on Thursday.

McIlroy birdied four of his opening five holes and then two of the last four to join Irishman Shane Lowry at the top of the leaderboard at the Earth Course at Jumeriah Estates Resort.

“The way I played it should have been five birdies in the first five holes,” he said. “It was a great way to start. You never expect to start like that, but I’ve been hitting the ball well for the last couple of weeks that I’ve been practicing and it was just a matter of trying to take that good range play on to the course, and I was able to do that today, which I’m really happy about.”

McIlroy has been in Dubai for the better part of two weeks after electing not to contest any of the opening three events on the Tour’s Final Four Series.

He played in the Grand Slam of Golf in Bermuda but his Dubai round is a first competitive effort on tour since shooting a final round 68 for a share of second place last month in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

“I played the two days at the PGA Grand Slam but I wouldn’t really call that competitive,” he said. “So the last shot that I hit was St. Andrews I guess, was my last competitive shot. So I was really looking forward to just getting out there and feeling what it was like again. Yeah, I was excited.”

Lowry arrived in Dubai fresh off the disappointment of finishing in 25th place in last week’s Turkish Airlines Open. Ranked No. 52, the Dubliner is hoping to finish inside the top 50 and with an exemption to enter all four majors in 2015.

“Last Sunday was a very difficult day for me as for the last 12 holes I couldn’t wait to get off the golf course and come here to Dubai,” he said. “Once I got here on Monday, I was fine as I had put myself into contention which is a positive I can look at from last week.”

Scotland’s Richie Ramsay and Denmark’s Thorbjorn Olesen share third place after rounds of 67.

Rory McIlroy has won the European Tour’s Race to Dubai for the second time in three years.

“Winning it for the first time two years ago was a fantastic feeling, but I feel like I’m now a more complete player and my all-round game has moved to another level,” McIlroy said in a statement released by the European Tour.

The 25-year-old Northern Irishman is more than 2.7 million euros ($3.4 million) ahead of Henrik Stenson. The Swede, who was European No. 1 a year ago, moved second on the money list by coming third in the Turkish Airlines Open on Sunday.

No player can now catch four-time major winner McIlroy at the remaining DP World Tour Championship in Dubai, starting Nov. 20.

McIlroy did not compete in Turkey where Marcel Siem, Jamie Donaldson and Sergio Garcia needed to win to stay in the race.

Brooks Koepka of the United States won the tournament by a stroke.

“This has obviously been the best season of my career by a long way, and to win The Race to Dubai for the second time really is something truly special,” McIlroy said. “That four-week spell over the summer, from the Open to the US PGA Championship, would have to be the best golf of my life.”

McIlroy won the British Open on July 20, the Bridgestone Invitational on Aug. 3 and the PGA Championship on Aug. 10, becoming the third youngest player after Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods to win three of the four majors.

BELEK, Turkey — Brooks Koepka claimed his maiden European Tour title after overcoming a two-shot deficit in the final round to win the Turkish Airlines Open by a stroke on Sunday.

The American player shot a final-round 7-under 65 for an overall 17 under 271 that edged England’s Ian Poulter.

Poulter had a chance to force a play-off but missed a five-foot birdie putt on the last.

Victory means that Koepka will finish the year ranked inside the top 50, which carries an automatic invitation to the Masters.

Other results ensured that top-ranked Rory McIlroy captured the 2014 Race to Dubai crown, his second in three years, after his nearest rivals failed to win here.

McIlroy will return to competition for next week’s European Tour season-ending DP World Tour Championship with the title in the bag with nearest challengers Jamie Donalson, Sergio Garcia and Marcel Siem no longer within striking distance.

BELEK, Turkey — Ian Poulter squandered a six-shot lead Saturday to trail Wade Ormsby of Australia by one stroke ahead of the final round at the Turkish Airlines Open.

Ormsby eagled his ninth hole and finished with a third-round 68 for a 12-under 204 total on the Montgomerie Maxx Royal course.

Poulter shot 75, nine strokes more than his second-round 66 which he completed earlier Saturday in the storm-disrupted event. The Englishman started the third round six shots clear of five players, including Ormsby.

Poulter shares second with Lee Westwood (67) and Marcel Siem (66).

After a bogey to start his third round Poulter continued to struggle before a double bogey at the par four 15th when his wedge shot hit a tree.

“I wasn’t aggressive enough this afternoon and I just made mistakes, and notably on 15,” said Poulter. “That was a real lack of judgment there that led to a double bogey, which was a real shame. I’ve now brought a lot of players back into the fray. Their dinner is going to taste lovely tonight and mine is going to taste horrible.”

The 34-year-old Ormsby, ranked 240th in the world, is one round away from nearly doubling the prize money he’s earned on the European Tour since making his debut in 2004. Victory would also mean a first appearance in the season-finale DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.

“I was due to fly to Melbourne next week and play in the Australian Masters but then I would be delighted to change my flight to Dubai,” Ormsby said.

Siem birdied four of his last eight holes as the German seeks victory just a fortnight after capturing the BMW Masters in Shanghai.

If he wins this tournament, Siem could potentially still deny Rory McIlroy the Race to Dubai crown.

“The Race to Dubai looks like it is becoming more interesting now for everybody and for sure I’ll give it a shot tomorrow,” said Siem. “That’s what we are out here for.”

And John Daly hasn’t ruled out his chances in Turkey after adding a 67 to move to a share of eighth place on 8-under 208.

“It would be a nice way to round off my last event of the year but then I’ve got to hit more fairways tomorrow,” the American said. “I’m only four shots behind and you can make up that deficit in a few holes out here.”

BELEK, Turkey — Ian Poulter picked up five shots through 14 holes of the second round to move into the lead of the Turkish Airlines Open before play was halted Friday because of the weather.

The Englishman holed a 40-foot putt for birdie on the 11th hole to take the lead in the third of the European Tour’s Final Four Series. Poulter is at 13 under, three ahead of Brendon De Jonge.

“In the time we were out there before the stoppage I played nicely and continued to hole some good putts,” Poulter said. “With the wind starting to blow really hard it was getting on near impossible out there, so it was the right decision to halt play.”

Play at the Montgomerie Maxx Royal course was stopped just after noon and was abandoned for the day at 2:30 p.m. with the continuing threat of thunderstorms.

On the course, defending champion Victor Dubuisson had to have medical treatment for a nose bleed believed to have been brought on by allergies.

“It’s not good and I didn’t feel well at all,” said the Frenchman, who was a rookie on this year’s winning Ryder Cup team.

Dubuisson shot a 77 in the first round and had six birdies and three bogeys on Friday to move to 2 over after 13 holes.

Miguel Angel Jimenez, the leader after the first round, dropped two shots through 14 holes to fall back into a share for fifth at 8 under.