For the third time in four years, Rory McIlroy won the Race to Dubai, clinching the title with his win at the DP World Tour Championship, per PA Sport.
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McIlroy had to overhaul Andy Sullivan on the back nine to claim his second victory at the tournament, carding a 66 to finish on 21 under par and beat the Englishman by just one shot. Having gradually reeled in his English counterpart and built a two-shot cushion, McIlroy inexplicable fired his tee-shot into the water at the island hole, the par-3 17th.
“I’ve got so much to take from this week; the way I’ve played and the way I’ve handled it in a world-class field”, Sullivan said. A 13 under par weekend, I couldn’t think of a better way to finish the season. Two European Tour wins, an overnight leader at The Open and a Masters debut means the Hackenthorpe-born player can reflect on a superb year.
Given all that had come before, there seemed an extra significance to this McIlroy victory, which brought him his third Race to Dubai championship in four years.
Fortunes turned for McIlroy when he went on a stretch four birdies in in five holes from the 11th. “I don’t think there’s been one that’s come at a better time”. I didn’t like the shot and I wasn’t very happy with myself but I was able to get over it quick enough to hole that putt.
Korea’s Byeong-hun An won the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year award on the European Tour by finishing ahead of his closest challenger, Matthew Fitzpatrick of England, in the Race to Dubai. McIlroy bogeyed the fourth and trailed Sullivan by three shots at one stage, despite birdies on Nos.
Lahiri, who was troubled by an niggle in his knee, once again had six birdies during the day – the same as the third round – but gave away a lot with five bogeys.
Is there an underlying reason why England’s Paul Casey is forgoing European Tour membership and a possible spot on the European Ryder Cup team to play full-time in the U.S.?
“That was probably the longest putt I have ever made for a bogey”. If anything held me back again at Augusta it was my putting.
But it was the duel between McIlroy and Sullivan that always looked like going the distance with both players producing a strong of birdies on the front nine.
After a year of what can only be described as a rollercoaster for the 29-year-old Irishman, with an ankle injury leaving him unable to compete in numerous tournaments, being victorious at the Jumeirah Golf Estates and also in the Race to Dubai, will have ended his year on a high.
“All I can do is focus on myself and try and win the golf tournament, and if I do that, then obviously everything else will fall into place”, said the Ulsterman.
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Sweden’s world No6, Henrik Stenson, the champion in Dubai for the past two years, finished tied for last at three-over par 291 after a round of 73.
