It was a finish for the ages at the DP World Tour Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates dirt course in Dubai as Rory McIlroy drained a 16-foot putt for eagle to earn a place in a play-off to defend his title and his fourth DP World Tour Championship.
But McIlroy’s fairytale finish was not to be, as his play-off opponent Matt Fitzpatrick went up-and-down for first on the first sudden-death hole to claim his third DP World Championship title and first DP World Tour title since the 2023 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
Fitzpatrick began the final round trailing McIlroy by one, but declared early, making three birdies in his first five holes. He eventually signed off for a round of 66, posting a total of 18 rounds under par. Laurie Canter, Ludvig Aberg, Tommy Fleetwood and Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen finished a shot back.
“It Means the World” Fitzpatrick said of his victory after his round. “I tried earlier this year, obviously, and to turn it into the summer like I did and to have a Ryder Cup like I did…Ryder Cup in particular, I feel like it’s hard to come out on top given everything. But the way I played today, I feel like I really didn’t hit a bad shot all day. I’m so proud of myself, the effort everyone puts in after a feel.ah.”
For McIlroy, the runner-up finish was enough to earn him a seventh Tour of Dubai trophy. The achievement is his fourth consecutive title of the season, surpassing Seve Ballestero’s mark of six and putting him just one short of Colin Montgomerie’s record eight.
“I was the first European to win a Grand Slam and I would like to be the most successful European in terms of winning the Order of Merit and competitions during the season.” McIlroy said Sunday. “Hopefully I’ve got a few good years left, and hopefully I can catch (Montgomerie) and get past him.”
The DP World Tour season has now ended after 42 tournaments. But there is only a short one-week break between seasons. The tour begins again with the “opening swing” in Australia on November 27.
