McIlroy is therefore eligible for a share of the 5million US dollars bonus pool, but also affects the top 30 on the money list on November 15 who qualify for next year’s Open, the top 60 who make the season-ending DP World Tour Championship and the 110 players who keep their card for next season.
The four-time major winner said: “I feel like I have a chance to win the Race to Dubai and it would look pretty silly in Dubai if I was leading and couldn’t play. I think it was more of a common-sense move than anything else.
“We had to be careful, especially because I’m included in the Race to Dubai now, so number 61 doesn’t get in, number 111 doesn’t get his card... so it was a tough decision for them (European Tour) to make.
“For me it’s more about the 111th guy, who loses his card. That’s the big thing. What do I do? Send him a bit of a Christmas present? It’s a hard one. I can’t really think of that.
“If I was to look at it really selfishly the 111th guy could have made one more putt or cut to get his card. I just have to think about myself and take a bit of a selfish view of it, I’m afraid.
“But at the end of the day it’s not about the bonus pool, I want to win the Race to Dubai. If I can win the Race to Dubai playing 12 events... at least give me the opportunity. I would have played more if I could.
“There were three more events but I couldn’t play and with the schedule I have coming up, having to go to California to play in the Frys.com, it’s what I could commit to, especially as I don’t really want to play more than two weeks in a row.
“I was only going to play HSBC and Dubai but I added Turkey because I at least wanted to fulfil three of the four (Final Series) and they were happy enough with that. I’m glad we came to that decision and I’m at least able to have a goal for the rest of the year.”
That will be music to the ears of Pelley, as will McIlroy’s belief that he will always remain a member of his home circuit.