Matt Fitzpatrick beats Rory McIlroy in Dubai playoff as McIlroy claims seventh season-long title

Before he teed off in the final round of the DP World Tour season, Rory McIlroy had a conversation with Carmen Botín, the former wife of Seve Ballesteros.

Regardless of whether he won Sunday in Dubai or not, McIlroy was on track to break his tie with the late Ballesteros for second-most Race to Dubai titles.

“She told me how proud he would have been,” McIlroy recounted of Botín’s message.

Hours later, McIlroy had locked up a fourth straight season-long crown – and seventh overall, one shy of Colin Montgomerie’s record. But with one hole to play in the DP World Tour Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates, McIlroy found himself a couple shots back of clubhouse leader Matt Fitzpatrick, who had just polished off a second consecutive 6-under 66 to post 18 under in the twosome just ahead.

McIlroy drove his tee ball onto the narrow right portion of the fairway, then flushed a 5-wood 234 yards to 15 feet before rolling in the eagle to force a playoff with Fitzpatrick.

“In typical Rory fashion, he did it again,” Fitzpatrick said.

Only McIlroy’s hero bid was short-lived, as he rinsed his tee shot on No. 18 in the playoff, setting up Fitzpatrick to win this event for the third time, first since 2020, with a short par.

Fitzpatrick’s victory capped a resurgent second half of the year for the 31-year-old Englishman, who didn’t compete in the DP World Tour’s two-event playoffs last year and went 10 tournaments to start this year before notching his first top-20 finish. But Fitzpatrick tied for eighth at the PGA Championship in May to jumpstart his year. He capped the PGA Tour regular season with four straight top-8s to qualify for the FedExCup Playoffs, then he secured his Ryder Cup spot with three consecutive top-6s in Europe. His 2-1-1 showing at Bethpage, marked his best performance in four career Ryder Cups.

Fitzpatrick began Sunday’s final round a shot behind McIlroy and Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen before carding six birdies, including a 50-footer on the par-3 fourth and 25-footer at the par-4 15th.

“Struggled at the start of this year, obviously, and to turn it around in the summer like I did and have a Ryder Cup like I did, Ryder Cup in particular, feel like it’s hard to top given everything,” Fitzpatrick said. “But the way that I played today, you know, I feel like I really didn’t hit one bad shot all day. I’m so proud of myself, the effort that everyone puts in behind the scenes. Yeah, what a feeling. What a feeling.”

McIlroy felt like he’d gotten off to the “perfect start,” birdieing four of his first seven holes to take control of the tournament. But after a birdie on No. 11, he bogeyed Nos. 12 and 16 to fall behind Fitzpatrick.

Neergaard-Petersen, a former standout at Oklahoma State, played his last five holes in 5 under to shoot 68 and tie for third at 17 under with Tommy Fleetwood (67), Laurie Canter (67) and Ludvig Åberg (66). The Dane had an eagle try of his own at No. 18, from 18 feet, though he missed.

“Lucky to see Rasmus’s putt before mine,” McIlroy said. “His hung out a little bit before it started to turn, so got a read from him. It was a great way to finish, making the playoff. But unfortunately, I hit it in the water there on 18 in the playoff, just sort of put me behind the 8-ball.

“But happy for Matt. He’s had a great end of the season, played great to get on the Ryder Cup team, and then he sort of kept it going since.”

McIlroy, of course, didn’t leave Dubai empty-handed, his seventh Race to Dubai punctuating a year in which he completed the career Grand Slam at the Masters, won three other times and was an integral part of a sixth victorious European Ryder Cup team.

“To equal [Ballesteros] last year was cool, but to surpass him this year, yeah, I didn’t get this far in my dreams, so it’s very cool,” McIlroy said.

Now, he’s got Monty in his sights.

“I want it, of course I do,” McIlroy said of the Race to Dubai record. “I caught up with Monty this week when he was here a couple days ago. … Look, it seems within touching distance now. I’d love to be the winningest European in terms of Order of Merits and season-long races.

“You know, I’ve probably got a few more good years left in me, and hopefully, I can catch him and surpass him.”