Rory McIlroy wins DP World Tour Championship and sixth Race to Dubai title
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Rory McIlroy equalled the six titles won by the late Seve Ballesteros in the European Tour’s season-long Race to Dubai, previously called the Order of Merit.
PHOTO: AFP
DUBAI – World No. 3 Rory McIlroy ended the season on a high by winning the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai on Nov 17, two strokes ahead of Dane Rasmus Hojgaard, to seal his sixth Race to Dubai title.
The 35-year-old Northern Irishman carded a three-under 69 in the final round at the Jumeirah Golf Estates to finish on 15-under 273, after two birdies in the final three holes saw off the challenge of Hojgaard.
McIlroy equalled the six titles won by the late Seve Ballesteros in the European Tour’s season-long Race to Dubai, previously called the Order of Merit. Scotland’s Colin Montgomerie holds the record with eight victories.
“It’s really cool. I think everyone knows what Seve means to European golf, to Ryder Cup players,” a visibly emotional McIlroy said.
“The European Ryder Cup locker room, all we have are quotes of Seve. We had a changing room with Seve’s shirt from 1995, the last Ryder Cup he played.
“He means so much to European golf and for me to be mentioned in the same breath, I’m very proud.”
McIlroy came into the final tournament well on course to clinch his third successive Race to Dubai title, with a lead of 1,785.02 points over second-placed Thriston Lawrence, who finished well down the field with a one-under 287 total.
McIlroy began the final round level with Hojgaard and Antoine Rozner of France on 12 under, but Rozner’s challenge faded with a double-bogey on the ninth.
Both McIlroy and Hojgaard bogeyed the opening hole.
But the Northern Irishman followed that with four consecutive birdies before another bogey on the ninth left Mclroy with a one-shot lead heading into the back nine.
A bogey for McIlroy on the 13th allowed Hojgaard to draw level again, but the four-time Major champion edged ahead with a stunning second shot on the par-four 16th hole from 137 yards to less than a foot for his fifth birdie of the day.
He drained a six-footer on the final hole for his sixth birdie.
Shane Lowry’s 68 gave the Irishman a share of third place alongside Rozner and Australia’s Adam Scott on 277.
“I feel like I’m leaving the golf course here in Dubai in a better position than I was this time last year, so pretty happy with myself,” said Lowry, who finished tied-18th in 2023.
McIlroy, who lost the US Open in June to Bryson DeChambeau
“I’ve been through a lot this year, professionally, personally. It feels like the fitting end to 2024,” said McIlroy, who pocketed US$5 million ($6.7 million) – US$3 million from the tournament and US$2 million for the Race to Dubai.
“I’ve persevered this year a lot, had close calls, wasn’t able to get it done, so to be able to get over the line, thankfully I hung on in a tough day and got the job done.”
Meanwhile, England’s Charley Hull shone the brightest in the dark on Nov 16, firing a two-under 68 to cling to a one-stroke lead over Nelly Korda and China’s Zhang Weiwei after the third round of the LPGA Annika tournament.
Hull found water at the 18th hole and made bogey, but kept the lead alone on 12-under 198 when Korda three-putted for bogey in near darkness at Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, Florida. REUTERS, AFP
