Rory McIlroy equals Seve Ballesteros with double celebration in Dubai

World number three Rory McIlroy ended the season on a high by winning the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai on Sunday, two strokes ahead of Rasmus Hojgaard, to seal his sixth Race to Dubai title.

The 35-year-old Northern Irishman carded a 69 in the final round at the Jumeirah Golf Estates to finish on 15 under par after two birdies in the final three holes saw off the challenge of Denmark’s Hojgaard.

McIlroy equalled the six titles won by the late Seve Ballesteros in the European Tour’s season-long Race to Dubai, previously called the Order of Merit. Scotland’s Colin Montgomerie holds the record with eight victories.

“It’s really cool, I think everyone knows what Seve means to European golf, to Ryder cup players,” a visibly emotional McIlroy said.

“The European Ryder Cup locker room, all we have are quotes of Seve, we had a changing room with Seve’s shirt from 1995 the last Ryder Cup he played.

“He means so much to European golf and for me to be mentioned in the same breath I’m very proud.”

McIlroy came into the final tournament well on course to clinch his third successive Race to Dubai title, with a lead of 1,785.02 points over second-placed South African Thriston Lawrence, who finished well down the field on one under par.

McIlroy began the final round level with Hojgaard and Antoine Rozner of France on 12 under but Rozner’s challenge faded with a double bogey on the ninth.

Both McIlroy and Hojgaard bogeyed the opening hole but the Northern Irishman followed that with four consecutive birdies before another bogey on the ninth left McIlroy with a one-shot lead heading into the back nine.

A bogey for McIlroy on the 13th allowed Hojgaard to draw level again but the four-times major champion finished strongest and the Dane ended up third in the Race to Dubai.

Shane Lowry’s four-under-par round gave the Irishman a share of third place alongside Rozner and Australia’s Adam Scott.

McIlroy, who lost the U.S. Open in June to Bryson DeChambeau by one stroke, had already won three trophies across the PGA and European Tours in 2024, the Dubai Desert Classic, the Zurich Classic of New Orleans alongside Lowry and the Wells Fargo Championship.

“I’ve been through a lot this year, professionally, personally. It feels like the fitting end to 2024,” McIlroy said.

“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, thankfully I hung on in a tough day and got the job done.”

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