Fitzpatrick beats McIlroy in Dubai, but Rory takes the Race to Dubai

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Rory McIlroy’s season finale was filled with excitement, culminating in an eagle on the final hole that forced a playoff. However, Matt Fitzpatrick took the victory at the World Tour Championship for the third time. Despite not taking first place, McIlroy secured his fourth consecutive Race to Dubai title, solidifying himself as the best European player of the year.

A Standout Year for McIlroy

This achievement adds to his victories at the Masters, completing the career Grand Slam, The Players Championship and the Irish Open. In addition, McIlroy was key in the victory of the European team at the Ryder Cup. All his great individual victories were defined in tiebreaks, but on this occasion, luck was not on his side. A shot into the water on the first playoff hole, the 18th, cost him a bogey. Fitzpatrick, for his part, made a par, securing the victory. “Obviously, you never like how things end, but I’m delighted,” Fitzpatrick declared after his victory. McIlroy generated great expectation by achieving an eagle on the 18th hole, completing a round of 67 strokes, which tied him with Fitzpatrick at the top of the leaderboard. For McIlroy, this is his seventh Race to Dubai title, surpassing Seve Ballesteros and being one title away from Colin Montgomerie’s record. “I didn’t dream of getting this far, so it’s great,” McIlroy commented. McIlroy added that he hopes to have several more successful years to reach and surpass Montgomerie’s record.

For several hours, nine players led or shared the lead on the Earth Course. Fitzpatrick achieved three birdies in his last five holes to surpass McIlroy and other European stars like Tommy Fleetwood and Ludvig Åberg. A 6-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole gave Fitzpatrick a lead over Fleetwood, Åberg and Laurie Canter, and two strokes over McIlroy, who needed an eagle to tie. Fitzpatrick, the 2022 US Open champion, had a slow start to the season, but finished strongly, securing his 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,” Fitzpatrick said. Fitzpatrick’s performance in the tournament was outstanding, demonstrating his ability to stay at the top of the world golf.