DP World Tour Championship: Rory McIlroy claims two-shot victory and tops Race to Dubai standings

golf Sunday 17 November 2024 13:52, UK

Rory McIlroy signed off his 2024 campaign in style by adding a dramatic DP World Tour Championship victory to his season-long Race to Dubai title.

McIlroy started the final round tied for the lead and turned a two-stroke deficit into a three-shot advantage, following a brilliant burst of four consecutive birdies around the Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates.

Two bogeys in a five-hole stretch around the turn saw McIlroy slip back tied for the lead alongside playing partner Rasmus Hojgaard, before two birdies in the last three holes closed a three-under 69 and completed an impressive victory.

McIlroy ended the week on 15 under and ahead of Hojgaard, who leads the 10 players who secured PGA Tour cards from the Race to Dubai rankings and dual membership next season, while Shane Lowry ended the week tied-third alongside Adam Scott and Antoine Rozner.

A third DP World Tour Championship victory also confirmed McIlroy as the Race to Dubai champion for a sixth time and for the third successive season, with Thriston Lawrence - the only player who could have caught him in the season-long standing - ending tied-30th.

McIlroy misjudged his putt from off the opening green and Hojgaard three-putted from the fringe to both make bogey and fall two behind Rozner, who rolled in a 20-foot birdie at the first, only for the pair to take advantage of the par-five next.

The Northern Irishman had missed his eagle putt at the second but fired his approach close at the third to pick up a shot, with McIlroy rolling in from 10 feet at the fourth and fifth to make it four consecutive birdies and grab early control of the tournament.

McIlroy briefly moved three clear when Rozner made a three-putt bogey from long range at the sixth, although he failed to convert from inside five feet at the seventh and allowed both Rozner and Hojgaard to close with birdies on the same par five.

A par from Hojgaard was enough to reach the turn one behind McIlroy, who found rough off the tee and failed to get up and down, while Rozner - playing in the group ahead - double-bogeyed the same hole to fall three off the pace.

McIlroy started his back nine with a run of two-putt pars before handing Hojgaard a share of the lead when he bogeyed the 13th, with the world No 3 squandering an eight-foot birdie chance at the 14th and also failing to take advantage of the par-five next.

Nothing could separate the final group until McIlroy fired his approach at the par-four 16th to tap-in range, edging him one ahead, while Hojgaard had to drain a 20-footer to scramble an unlikely par after a wayward tee shot at the par-three next.

McIlroy missed an eight-foot birdie chance to extend his advantage but remained ahead going into the par-five last, where he two-putted from just off the green to close out victory with a birdie.

A closing par left Hojgaard on 13 under and solo second, with Rozner securing his PGA Tour card with a share of third, while Tyrrell Hatton finished five strokes back in sixth spot ahead of Jesper Svensson, Joaquin Niemann, Keita Nakajima and Robert MacIntyre.

McIlroy's latest success is his fourth worldwide win of 2024 and first on the DP World Tour since the Hero Dubai Desert Classic in January, having experienced four runner-up finishes - including at the US Open - and a number of near-misses during an eventful year.

"It [winning] means a lot," McIlroy said. "I've been through a lot this year. Professionally, personally, and it feels like the fitting end to 2024. 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 today.

"I got off to a great start and then didn't have my best round, saving par on 15 was huge and then I had four great swings coming in. Really pleased with the way I finished and thankfully I hung on on a tough day.

"I've just won my third [Race to Dubai] in a row and I've really made it a priority with my schedule over the last few years to give myself a chance with it. I don't see that being any different for the foreseeable future. I'm going to go for my seventh next year and try and chase Monty [Colin Montgomerie] down."

The 2025 DP World Tour season starts on Thursday with the BMW Australian PGA Championship, held at Royal Queensland GC in Brisbane and live on Sky Sports. Rory McIlroy will next be in action at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic from January 16-19. Stream the DP World Tour and more with NOW.