DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Rory McIlroy’s stellar yr ended in additional drama Sunday when he eagled the ultimate gap of regulation to drive a playoff, however misplaced to Matt Fitzpatrick, who received the season-ending World Tour Championship for the third time.
The comfort for McIlroy? He received his fourth consecutive Race to Dubai title, was topped European Participant of the Yr, and along with his Masters win, he received a Profession Grand Slam, The Gamers Championship and his house Irish Open. McIlroy additionally helped Crew Europe win the Away Rider Cup.
All of his large particular person wins have come within the play-offs, however his newest victory proved to be just a bit past the Northern Irishman after he hit his drive right into a creek on the primary 18th gap of the play-off and suffered a bogey. Fitzpatrick chipped to three ft and sank the par putt so as to add to his 2016 and 2020 wins and win the title once more at Jumeirah Golf Estates.
“Clearly I do not wish to see the way it ends, however clearly I am joyful,” Fitzpatrick mentioned after clinching his first win in two years.
McIlroy drew the largest cheer of the day when he hit a 15-foot eagle on the 18th to complete the spherical with a 5-under 67, tying him with Fitzpatrick (66) for a weekly whole of 18 beneath. He additionally made the ultimate eagle on the Irish Open in September to achieve the playoffs, defeating Sweden’s Joakim Lagergren on the Ok Membership.
“In typical Rory style, he did it once more,” mentioned Fitzpatrick, who was sitting within the scorer’s cabin watching the play out. He met McIlroy exterior, shook his hand and hugged his Ryder Cup teammate.
That they had comparable outcomes after the playoffs, with each groups ending as winners.
That is McIlroy’s seventh Race to Dubai title, one forward of the late Seve Ballesteros and one behind Colin Montgomerie’s document.
“It is fairly cool as a result of I by no means would have gotten this far in my desires,” McIlroy mentioned of chatting with Ballesteros’ spouse Carmen earlier than Sunday’s spherical.
“It seems prefer it’s inside attain,” he added of catching Montgomery. “I wish to be the winningest European by way of the Order of Benefit and races within the season. You understand, I most likely have just a few extra good years left, so hopefully I can meet up with him and surpass him.”
9 gamers battled for the lead or a share of the lead on the Earth Course, and ultimately Fitzpatrick made three birdies within the last 5 holes to overhaul McIlroy and dominate European stars corresponding to Tommy Fleetwood and Ludvig Oberg.
Fitzpatrick’s birdie putt from 6 ft on the 18th left him with a one-shot lead over Fleetwood (67), Oberg (66) and Rory Canter (67), and a two-shot lead over McIlroy, who was ready within the 18th fairway realizing he wanted to make an eagle.
He hit a fairway wooden from about 230 yards to the appropriate of the pin, acquired a very good learn on his companion Rasmus Niergaard Petersen, who was just a few ft away, and sank the putt.
Nirgaard Petersen (68) made a birdie and joined the group in a tie for third place at 17 beneath.
Fitzpatrick, the 2022 U.S. Open champion, acquired off to a gradual begin to the season however completed sturdy, ending within the high 10 on the British Masters in August, the European Masters and the BMW PGA Championship in September, incomes him a spot on the Ryder Cup group. He then scored 2.5 factors in 4 video games at Bethpage Black.
“For somebody like me to show issues round in the summertime and are available into the Ryder Cup like I did, I really feel prefer it’s onerous to come back out on high, all issues thought-about,” Fitzpatrick mentioned. “However watching me play immediately, it actually seems like I did not hit a single unhealthy shot all day. I am so happy with the onerous work everybody put in behind the scenes. Yeah, what a sense.”
