Rory McIlroy falls short in Dubai, but still wins season-long race

It was a finish for the ages at the DP World Tour Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates’ Earth Course in Dubai, as Rory McIlroy drained a 16-foot putt for eagle to earn a spot in a playoff for a title defense and his fourth DP World Tour Championship.

But McIlroy’s fairytale finish was not to be, as his playoff adversary, Matt Fitzpatrick, got up-and-down for par on the first sudden-death hole to claim his third DP World Tour Championship title, and first DP World Tour title since the 2023 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

Fitzpatrick started the final round trailing McIlroy’s co-lead by one, but asserted himself early, making three birdies in his first five holes. He ultimately signed for a round of 66, reaching a four-round total of 18 under par. Laurie Canter, Ludvig Aberg, Tommy Fleetwood and Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen finished one shot behind.

“It means the world,” Fitzpatrick said of his win after his round. “I struggled at the start of this year, obviously, and to turn it around in the summer like I did and have a Ryder Cup like I did…the Ryder Cup in particular, I feel like it’s hard to top given everything. But the way that I played today, I feel like I really didn’t hit one bad shot all day. I’m so proud of myself, the effort that everyone puts in behind the scenes. Yeah, what a feeling. What a feeling.”

For McIlroy, the runner-up finish was enough to earn him a seventh Race to Dubai trophy. The achievement is his fourth consecutive season-long title, surpassing Seve Ballesteros’ mark of six, and putting him just one shy of Colin Montgomerie’s record of eight.

“I was the first European to win the Grand Slam and I’d love to be the most successful European in terms of winning Order of Merits and season-long races,” McIlroy said Sunday. “I’ve hopefully got a few more good years left in me, and hopefully I can catch (Montgomerie) and surpass him.”

The DP World Tour season is now complete after 42 tournaments. But there’s only a short one-week layoff between seasons. The Tour kicks off again with the “opening swing” in Australia on November 27.

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