DP World Tour Championship: Danny Willett returns to scene of his stunning comeback victory

Englishman looks back with pride on 'special moment' when he ended a 953-day winless streak in Dubai last year

Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy during his practice round on Tuesday ahead of the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai. Getty

England's Ian Poulter. Getty

Austria's Bernd Wiesberger. Getty

England's Aaron Rai on the 8th hole. Getty

Jon Rahm of Spain. Getty

England's Tyrrell Hatton. Getty

England's Lee Westwood. Getty

Tyrrell Hatton joking around during the pro-am event prior to the DP World Tour Championship. Getty

Spain's Sergio Garcia on the 7th hole. Getty

Defending champion Danny Willett of England. Getty

England's Justin Rose chats to putting coach Phil Kenyon. Getty

Sergio Garcia with caddie Michael Kerr. Getty

Spain's Rafa Cabrera-Bello. Getty

Northern Ireland's Shane Lowry walks towards the 7th hole. Getty

Rory McIlroy on the 5th hole. Getty

The clubhouse at Jumeirah Golf Estates prior to the DP World Tour Championship. Getty

Rafa Cabrera-Bello tees off on the 17th hole. Getty

Rory McIlroy gestures to caddie Niall O'Connor. Getty

England's Tommy Fleetwood tees off on the 1st hole. Getty

England's Matt Fitzpatrick of England tees off on the 16th hole. Getty

Danny Willett lines up a putt. Getty

Rory McIlroy tees off on the 7th hole. Getty

South Africa's Christiaan Bezuidenhout watched by his coach Grant Veenstra. Getty

Tommy Fleetwood. Getty

Danny Willett of England hits an approach shot. Getty

A view of the 18th green at the DP World Tour Championship. Getty

Rory McIlroy. Getty

Back at the scene of one of his greatest triumphs, both personal and professional, Danny Willett wears an obvious smile and a mind burning with possibility.

It's easy to see why. The Englishman returned to Jumeirah Golf Estates on Tuesday, home to his incredible comeback victory 12 months ago, when he snapped a 953-day winless drought with a two-shot victory at the DP World Tour Championship.

Coming that long after his major breakthrough at the 2016 Masters, a period beset by injury and introspection, Willett saw off in Dubai his successor at Augusta, Patrick Reed, and the defending champion, Jon Rahm, among others.

Little wonder he didn't mind reminiscing.
 "We weren't sure if we were going to win again with all the injuries, and it was nice to come back and do it on such a big stage against such a great field," Willett said.

"Obviously, coming down the stretch with Patrick and Jon Rahm posting scores, just to prove to myself that when I get in contention, I'm pretty good at closing out golf tournaments. And obviously after everything that happened, it was a pretty special moment, especially with all the family here and friends.
"Any win in your career is a pretty special moment. But the bigger the event and the bigger the emotion, always makes it feel even better."

Willett, 32, has since landed another sizeable one, coming out on top in September’s BMW PGA Championship, the European Tour’s flagship event. The world No 31, now fully fit and flourishing under coach Sean Foley’s guidance, is clearly confident.

So much so, that he feels capable of playing better golf than he did to secure the Green Jacket three years ago.

“You look back there, and Augusta was obviously my week, and that doesn't always happen on Sunday on a back nine,” said Willett, one of 50 players competing this week in the $8 million (Dh29.3m) Race to Dubai finale. “Playing-wise, I think I could potentially be better than what I was then.

"Very different ball flight; very different golf game and very different outlook on probably what is a good or a bad day or how things go.
"So as a whole, the potential is there to be better. Whether that means you're going to win anything else, no. But what we're doing, the potential is definitely better."