Rory McIlroy completed his 2024 campaign in style, adding a DP World Tour Championship win to his season-long Race to Dubai title.
McIlroy began the final round tied for the lead with four straight birdies around the Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates, turning a two-stroke deficit into a three-stroke advantage.
Two bogeys in five straight holes put McIlroy in a tie for the lead with partner Rasmus Hojgaard, and he fired a 3-under 69 with two birdies in the final three holes to secure an impressive victory.
McIlroy won his third DP World Tour Championship title with four rounds in the 60s.
McIlroy finished the week 15 under par behind Hojgaard, who leads the 10 players who have secured PGA Tour cards in next season’s Race to Dubai standings and dual membership, while Shane Lowry ends the week tied for third with Adam Scott and Antoine Rozner. It’s closed.
With his third DP World Tour Championship win, McIlroy became Race to Dubai champion for the sixth and third consecutive season, finishing in a tie for 30th with Thriston Lawrence the only player to be able to keep him there all season. .
How McIlroy finished the season in style
McIlroy misjudged his putt on the opening green and Hojgaard three-putted from the fringe, resulting in both bogeys and two strokes behind Rozner. Rozner initially rolled in a 20-foot birdie, but the pair capitalized on par. Next are 5.
The Northern Irishman missed an eagle putt in the second but hit a narrow approach in the third, and McIlroy rolled in from 10 feet in the fourth and fifth to record four consecutive birdies to take the early lead of the tournament. caught. .
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Rory McIlroy had a strong performance at the DP World Tour Championship, recovering from his first bogey to record four consecutive birdies.
McIlroy was briefly three clear when Rozner made a three-putt bogey from long range in the sixth. But he failed to convert from inside 5 feet on the seventh and allowed Rozner and Hojgaard to finish with birdies on the same par 5.
Hojgaard’s par was enough to put him behind McIlroy, who found a rough tee shot and failed to get up and down, while Rozner, playing in the group ahead, had a double bogey on the same hole to fall three off the pace.
McIlroy started the back nine with a two-putt par and then split the lead with Hojgaard with a bogey on the 13th, before the world No. 3 squandered an 8-foot birdie opportunity on the 14th and also failed to take advantage. Next is a par 5.
McIlroy was at risk of another close call in 2024, having already recorded four runner-up finishes.
Nothing could separate the final group until McIlroy took a one-point lead by approaching tap-in range on the par-4 16th and Hojgaard drained a 20-footer to scramble for an unexpected par after a wayward tee shot at par. . -Next are 3.
McIlroy missed an 8-foot birdie opportunity to extend his advantage, but maintained the lead heading into the final par 5, and two-putted from just short of the green to close out the victory with a birdie.
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Rory McIlroy’s swing changes helped him hit fantastic iron shots on his way to winning the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.
The final par put Hojgaard in solo second at 13 under, Rozner secured his PGA Tour card in third and Tyrrell Hatton finished sixth, five strokes behind Jesper Svensson, Joaquin Niemann, Keita Nakajima and Robert MacIntyre.
Emotional victory is a ‘fitting end’ for McIlroy in 2024
McIlroy’s latest success is his fourth worldwide win of 2024 and his first on the DP World Tour since the Hero Dubai Desert Classic in January. Including the U.S. Open, he finished second four times and experienced several close misses in eventful tournaments. Year.
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Take a look back at Rory McIlroy’s close 2024 tournaments, including the US Open and Amgen Irish Open.
“(The win) means a lot,” McIlroy said. “I’ve been through a lot this year. Professionally and personally, I think 2024 is the perfect ending. I’ve endured a lot this year, and there have been close calls, but I couldn’t achieve it, so this is what happened. Today, I can cross the line.
“I got off to a good start but didn’t have my best round. Saving par on 15 was huge and then four great swings came in. I was really happy with the way I finished and thankfully I was able to get through a tough day.
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An emotional Rory McIlroy could not hold back tears after winning the DP World Tour Championship title and claiming his sixth Race to Dubai crown.
“I’ve recently won the Race to Dubai three years in a row and I’ve prioritized my schedule over the last few years to give myself opportunities. I don’t think it’s any different. For the foreseeable future, I’m looking forward to 7 next year. “For his third birthday, we’re trying to kick Monty (Colin Montgomery) out.”
What’s next?
The 2025 DP World Tour season begins on Thursday with the BMW Australian PGA Championship held at Royal Queensland GC in Brisbane and broadcast live on Sky Sports. Rory McIlroy will next compete at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic from January 16-19. Stream DP World Tour and more with NOW.
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