Rory McIlroy says he can't quite believe that he is still top of the Race to Dubai rankings going into the European Tour's season finale, the DP World Tour Championship, this week.
McIlroy, who opted not to play in the BMW Masters, the third event of the Final Series, would have been overtaken by Danny Willett if the Englishman had finished alone in 28th or better in Shanghai.
Willett's final round of 70 at Lake Malaren left him in a tie for 28th with Alexander Levy and Peter Uilhein, meaning he trails McIlroy by just 1,613 points heading into the season's final event in Dubai.
McIlroy leads a group of seven still with a shout of winning the Race to Dubai. Justin Rose, Shane Lowry, Louis Oosthuizen and Branden Grace need to finish second or better at Jumeirah Golf Estates to stand any chance, while Byeong Hun An has to win.
"I didn't quite think I'd be in this position, especially after taking the week off last week, but a few of the guys didn't capitalise on that in China thankfully and I find myself in a position where it's totally in my hands," McIlroy said.
"If I go out and win the tournament, I win the overall thing no matter what anybody else does, and that's a nice position to be in. Obviously that's the main objective this week, and I feel like I'm playing well enough to do that."
McIlroy has an enviable record in the event with five top five finishes in six appearances, including a victory in 2012 which sealed his first Race to Dubai title and finishing second behind Henrik Stenson last year.
And the 26-year-old is relishing the extra pressure of having the Race to Dubai on the line, having secured victory with an event to spare 12 months ago.
"If I am the champion at the end of the week, it means that I win the Race to Dubai and that's all I'm really thinking about," the four-time major winner added. "It's always a goal of mine. At the start of the year, I want to be at the top of these lists at the end of the season, whether it's the Race to Dubai or whether it's the FedEx Cup.
"The Race to Dubai reflects the way you've played through the entire season, and somehow that's true. I feel like I've gained most of my points in the first half of the season with my performances.
"I've just sort of held onto that position a little bit. Coming into this week and not having wrapped it up like I had done the previous two times I've won, there is more of an intensity.
"It would be a really great way to finish the season, and knowing that I haven't already got it wrapped up, it focuses the mind and I really want to play well this week."
Willett, who has played 22 events to McIlroy's 11 and described himself as "stale" during last week's BMW Masters, has no complaints but feels a rested McIlroy has the upper hand in Dubai.
European Tour chief executive Keith Pelley cited ''exceptional circumstances'' in granting McIlroy permission to remain on the money list by playing 12 events, one less than the required 13, as he tries to win the Harry Vardon Trophy for the third time in four years.
"If Rory wins more money than anyone else playing less events, then that's just good golf," Willett said. "There's still rules there to kind of abide by, otherwise they wouldn't make rules. If rules were allowed to be broken all the time, then there's no point in setting them in the first place.
"But in that case it's a very difficult one to get correct and it was the first decision Keith had to make in becoming the chief executive of the Tour. I think he made the correct decision."
PA Sport contributed to this report.