Rory McIlroy was on Sunday crowned the DP World Tour’s Race to Dubai champion for a seventh year, and four seasons in a row, but the world No.2 lost the $10 million Tour Championship to England’s Matt Fitzpatrick in the first playoff hole when he found the water with his tee shot.
At the Earth course of Jumeirah Golf Estates on Sunday, Fitzpatrick (66) made a birdie on the 72nd hole of regulation play to set the mark at 18-under par.
A few minutes later, McIlroy sensationally eagled the same hole after a brilliant second shot to 16 feet.
Four players – England’s Tommy Fleetwood (67) and Laurie Canter (67), Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg (66) and Denmark’s Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen (68) – were tied third at 17-under par total.
McIlroy moved past the legendary Spaniard Seve Ballesteros and is now one closer to Colin Montgomerie’s all-time record of eight Order of Merit titles.
It is Fitzpatrick’s third DP World Tour Championship title (2016 and 2020) and a 10th DP World Tour victory in 195 starts. The win is projected to lift him to No24 on the Official World Golf Ranking.