DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Rory McIlroy‘s banner 12 months ended with extra drama Sunday when he eagled the final gap in regulation to pressure a playoff however misplaced out to Matt Fitzpatrick, who gained the season-closing World Tour Championship for a 3rd time.
The comfort for McIlroy? A fourth straight Race to Dubai title — crowning him as the highest European participant of the 12 months — so as to add to his wins on the Masters to finish the profession Grand Slam, The Gamers Championship and his residence Irish Open. McIlroy additionally helped Workforce Europe win an away Ryder Cup.
All of his massive particular person victories got here in playoffs, however a last one proved simply past the Northern Irishman after he hit his drive right into a creek on the primary playoff gap, No. 18, and made bogey. Fitzpatrick chipped to three toes and rolled in a par putt to win the title once more at Jumeirah Golf Estates, together with victories in 2016 and 2020.
“Clearly you by no means wish to see the way in which it ends, however clearly delighted,” Fitzpatrick stated after sealing his first win in two years.
McIlroy generated the most important roar of the day when he poured in a 15-footer for eagle on No. 18 to finish a spherical of 5-under 67 and be a part of Fitzpatrick (66) at 18-under par for the week. He additionally eagled the final on the Irish Open in September to pressure a playoff earlier than happening to beat Sweden’s Joakim Lagergren at The Ok Membership.
“In typical Rory vogue, he did it once more,” stated Fitzpatrick, who watched it unfold whereas sitting within the scorer’s hut. He met McIlroy outdoors, shaking his hand and giving his Ryder Cup teammate a hug.
They did so once more after the playoff, which completed with each of them as winners.
For McIlroy, it is a seventh Race to Dubai title, placing him one away from the late Seve Ballesteros and one behind Colin Montgomerie‘s report haul.
“I did not get this far in my goals, so it is very cool,” stated McIlroy, who revealed that he spoke to Ballesteros’ spouse, Carmen, earlier than his spherical Sunday.
“It appears inside touching distance now,” he added about catching Montgomerie. “I would like to be the winningest European by way of Order of Deserves and seasonlong races. You recognize, I’ve most likely acquired a couple of extra good years left in me, and hopefully I can catch him and surpass him.”
9 gamers both led or held a share of the lead throughout a wild few hours on the Earth course that culminated in Fitzpatrick making three birdies in his last 5 holes to overhaul McIlroy and overhaul a slew of Europe’s different stars, together with Tommy Fleetwood and Ludvig Åberg.
A birdie putt from 6 toes at No. 18 took Fitzpatrick a stroke away from Fleetwood (67), Åberg (66) and Laurie Canter (67) and two forward of McIlroy, who was ready within the 18th fairway figuring out he now wanted to make eagle.
He hit a fairway wooden from round 230 yards to the appropriate of the pin, acquired an excellent learn from enjoying accomplice Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen, who was a couple of toes additional away, and drained the putt.
Neergaard-Petersen (68) made birdie to affix the group at 17 underneath in a tie for third.
Fitzpatrick, the U.S. Open champion in 2022, began the season slowly however completed robust, getting onto the Ryder Cup crew on the again of top-10 finishes on the British Masters in August and the European Masters and BMW PGA Championship in September. He then gained 2½ factors from his 4 matches at Bethpage Black.
“To show it round in the summertime like I did and have a Ryder Cup like I did, really feel prefer it’s arduous to high given every thing,” Fitzpatrick stated. “However the way in which that I performed immediately, I really feel like I actually did not hit one dangerous shot all day. I am so happy with myself, the hassle that everybody places in behind the scenes. Yeah, what a sense.”
