An emotional Rory McIlroy hailed surpassing Seve Ballesteros by winning a seventh Race to Dubai title as more than he ever dreamed of. McIlroy was beaten in a playoff by Matt Fitzpatrick in the season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai, having staged a dramatic late fightback with an eagle at the final hole.
While his Ryder Cup teammate celebrated a third win in the event, the Northern Irishman clinched the season-long crown to eclipse the late Ballesteros†tally of six and move one behind record-holder, Colin Montgomerie. McIlroy told Sky Sports: “Itâ€s amazing, I had a conversation with Carmen [Ballesterosâ€s ex-wife] before I went out to play today and she told me how proud he would have been.
“He means so much to this Tour and the European Ryder Cup team. We rally so much around his spirit and around his quotes and everything he meant for European golf. To equal him last year was cool, but to surpass him this year, I didnâ€t get this far in my dreams, so itâ€s very cool.â€
McIlroy also set his sights on Montgomerieâ€s mark, adding: “I want it [eight titles], of course I do. I was the first European to win the grand slam and I would love to be the European with the most wins in terms of the order of merit and season-long races.â€
Fitzpatrick had started the final day among a group of six players who were one shot behind McIlroy and Denmarkâ€s Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen. McIlroy began the final round in style and moved clear at the top of the leaderboard after going four under through the first seven holes.
But, as he stumbled, Fitzpatrick put himself in pole position for victory by landing a birdie at the last to complete a bogey-free round of 66 to leave McIlroy and Neergaard-Petersen requiring eagles to force a playoff.
While the Dane faltered, the Masters champion sank his putt from about 15 feet to extend the tournament into extra time, but it was Fitzpatrick who prevailed after both players missed the green with their approach shots.
Fitzpatrick said: “He [McIlroy] is one of only a few where you know you are going to a playoff. You are two clear with one to play and you know you are going to a playoff because he did it again in typical Rory fashion.
“I struggled at the start of the year, obviously, and to turn it round in the summer like I did, have the Ryder Cup like I did which is hard to top, but the way I played today – there was one bad shot all day. So proud of myself.â€
Tommy Fleetwood was in a group of four players, including Neergaard-Petersen, who tied for third place after a final round 67, while Tyrrell Hatton, the only man to start the final day with a faint hope of denying McIlroy the Race to Dubai title, fell away to finish in a share of 14th.
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