Rory McIlroy will be hoping this week's Dubai World Championship does not turn into a putting contest.

The 20-year-old hopes to be crowned Europe's second youngest money-list winner on Sunday but he does not occupy the number one spot at the moment because of how he has done on the greens this season.

McIlroy ranks a lowly 123rd on Tour, while the three players who could beat him in the final tournament - Lee Westwood, Martin Kaymer and Ross Fisher - are 76th, first and 83rd respectively.

German Kaymer is also the best scrambler on the circuit. That is, the player who gets up and down from off the green most often.

But he is also the shortest hitter of the quartet and this week's event is being played on the second longest course in Tour history at 7,675 yards.

McIlroy leads where it matters most, though - not just on the money list but also in the strokes taken in each round.

How the four contenders for the European number one spot compare on this season's Genworth Financial statistics:

McILROY WESTWOOD KAYMER FISHER

Stroke average 69.5(1) 70.1(7) 69.9(4) 70.8(43)

Driving distance(yds) 301.9(5) 300.0(11) 292.1(46) 292.5(41)

Driving accuracy(%) 62.3(70) 63.0(62) 61.4(80) 59.2(122)

Greens in regulation(%)77.9(3) 73.7(18) 72.1(24) 72.1(24)

Putts per round 30.1(123) 29.7(76) 28.4(1) 29.8(83)

Sand saves(%) 63.5(18) 54.5(79) 52.5(97) 52.9(94)

Up and downs(%) 58.4(29) 55.3(70) 68.7(1) 56.1(57)

(figures in brackets indicate how each player ranks on the European Tour)