Rory McIlroy completed the yr as Europe’s No. 1-ranked golfer for the fourth time — and first since 2015 — regardless of Jon Rahm successful the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai on Sunday.
The Spaniard’s two-shot victory over England’s Tyrrell Hatton and Sweden’s Alex Noren was his third in six years at Jumeirah Golf Estates.
McIlroy completed the season prime of the DP World rankings after Matt Fitzpatrick, his solely rival for the Harry Vardon Trophy, blew up across the flip.
Fitzpatrick wanted to win and McIlroy to not end runner-up, or to complete second and McIlroy to be outdoors the highest seven.
However neither of these eventualities transpired as Fitzpatrick, three off the lead when taking part in the eighth, double-bogeyed after which dropped one other shot on the tenth to finish his possibilities.
McIlroy didn’t want any of the fireworks of the day before today, when he powered himself into rivalry with a 65, and whereas he might have tied Rahm on 20-under had he eagled the final he might solely handle par for a 68 that included six birdies and 4 bogeys to complete fourth.
“It means lots. It has been seven years since I’ve final accomplished it. I’ve gained three FedEx Cups since I final gained,” McIlroy, who lifted his third PGA Tour FedEx Cup in August, instructed Sky Sports activities tv.
“It could have been good to get one win in there on the finish of the yr however Jon performed an unimaginable event and absolutely deserved it.”
Rahm, who turned the primary participant to win the event thrice, started the ultimate day with a one-shot lead and opened with two successive birdies to double his benefit.
Fitzpatrick’s 28-foot birdie on the third received him to fifteen beneath and inside two however issues began to unravel with a bogey on the quick sixth and regardless that he instantly clawed again that dropped shot, the calamitous eighth in the end did for his hopes.
His drive landed in a deep rut in a waste space, his out shot didn’t clear the tough and having flown the inexperienced and duffed his chip he two-putted from the perimeter for a six.
That put him 5 behind and after lacking the green on the tenth he dropped one other shot and his problem was over as he completed 13 beneath, seven adrift.
The one hassle McIlroy, who had three birdies and a bogey in his first 4 holes, had on the eighth got here from the flagstick which saved out his birdie effort from 56 toes.
He three-putted the ninth inexperienced however was not the one one as Hatton did the identical for his solely bogey in a spherical of 66.
