DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Rory McIlroy’s stellar year culminated in another dramatic episode this Sunday, albeit with a bittersweet ending. Despite achieving an eagle on the last hole to force a playoff, Matt Fitzpatrick took the victory at the World Tour Championship, his third in this tournament. The consolation for McIlroy was his fourth consecutive Race to Dubai title, solidifying himself as the best European player of the year. This achievement adds to his victories at the Masters, which completed the Grand Slam of his career, the The Players Championship and the Irish Open, his home tournament. In addition, McIlroy contributed to the victory of the European team in the Ryder Cup. All his great individual victories came in playoffs, but this time luck was not on his side. After sending his drive into the water on the first playoff hole, number 18, McIlroy made bogey. Fitzpatrick, for his part, managed a chip to a meter and a half and secured par, taking the title at Jumeirah Golf Estates, where he had already triumphed in 2016 and 2020.
The most exciting moment of the day came when McIlroy sank a 4.5-meter putt for eagle on the 18th hole, completing a round of 67 strokes, five under par, and tying with Fitzpatrick (66). For McIlroy, this is his seventh Race to Dubai title, surpassing Seve Ballesteros by one and being one short of Colin Montgomerie’s record.Obviously, you never like how it ends, but I’m delighted.
Matt Fitzpatrick
McIlroy revealed that he spoke with Carmen, Ballesteros’ wife, before his Sunday round.I didn’t get this far even in my dreams, so it’s very good.
Rory McIlroy
Nine players led or shared the lead during an exciting few hours on the Earth course, culminating in Fitzpatrick making three birdies in his final five holes. This allowed him to surpass McIlroy and other European stars like Tommy Fleetwood and Ludvig Åberg.
A 2-meter birdie putt on the 18th hole gave Fitzpatrick a one-shot lead over Fleetwood (67), Åberg (66) and Laurie Canter (67), and two over McIlroy, who needed an eagle.
McIlroy hit a wood shot from about 210 meters, hitting to the right of the hole, and holed the putt. Fitzpatrick, the 2022 US Open champion, had a slow start to the season, but finished strongly, securing a place on the Ryder Cup team thanks to his results at the British Masters, the European Masters and the BMW PGA Championship in September.To turn it around in the summer like I did and to have a Ryder Cup like I had, I feel like it’s hard to top given everything. But the way I played today, I feel like I didn’t really hit a bad shot all day. I’m very proud of myself, of the effort everyone puts in behind the scenes. Yeah, what a feeling.
Matt Fitzpatrick
