Fitzpatrick outguns MCilroy in dramatic season finale in Dubai
Fitzpatrick wins the Tour Championship, but McIlroy the Race to Dubai Standings – image Getty Images
Matt Fitzpatrick’s impressive return to the sort of game that saw him the US Open Champion in 2022 and twice a winner of this event previously, continued most dramatically in Dubai this weekend when he emerged from a playoff against the world’s number two golfer, Rory McIlroy, to win at the first extra hole of the DP World Tour Championship at Jumeira Golf Estates.
As many as ten golfers were still a possibility of winning the event with just nine holes to play in the season-ending event, but with Fitzpatrick’s three birdies in his final five holes and a dramatic eagle from 18 feet at the last by McIlroy, who had earlier lost a two-shot lead, it boiled down to a fitting finish to the DP World Tour season.
McIlroy would be first to blink in the playoff, however, when he found the water from the tee at the first extra hole, failed to find the green at the par 5 with his third, and failed to get up and down from the greenside bunker to record a bogey.
Fitzpatrick was not entirely convincing himself, laying with his second and leaving a long third with which he failed to find the green, but a magnificent pitch left himself two feet to complete the job and the title and the nearly US$3 million first prize in addition to the US$750,000 he earns for finishing 3rd in the Race to Dubai standings.
McIlroy earned US1.2 million for his runner-up finish, but in winning the Race to Dubai standings, he earns another US$2 million to top off an outstanding season in which he has won on four occasions worldwide and, very importantly, becomes only the 6th player in the history of the game to complete the Grand Slam with his win at the Masters in April.
As far as the three Australasians in the field, New Zealand’s Daniel Hillier did best in a share of 16th place with just over US$100,000.
Kazuma Kobori and Elvis Smylie finished well back in 42nd place, although for both it has been a tremendous rookie season on the DP World Tour.
Hillier was in line for one of the ten PGA Tour cards for next season, provided he finished well, perhaps inside the top ten, but he was unable to build on his efforts earlier in the week and finished 16th.
Hillier failed to earn one of the ten cards by two places, but he continues to build an impressive career in Europe.
