McIlroy wins seventh race to Dubai title

DUBAI: Rory McIlroy recorded an eagle on the 72nd hole to force a playoff before falling to Matt Fitzpatrick at the World Tour Championship on Sunday in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

While Fitzpatrick won the season-closing event for the third time, McIlroy captured his fourth straight Race for Dubai title as the top European player of the year. The Northern Irishman has seven such titles, one shy of Colin Montgomerie for top honours.

"I want it, of course I do," McIlroy said of catching Montgomerie. "I caught up with Monty this week when he was here a couple days ago and I saw him. 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."

Fitzpatrick carded a 6-under-par 66 on Sunday to finish at 18-under 270 at Jumeirah Golf Estates, Earth Course. The Englishman saw McIlroy send his drive into the creek on the first playoff hole, allowing Fitzpatrick to calmly sink a 3-foot par putt to win the tournament.

"Obviously you never like to see the way it ends, but obviously delighted," said Fitzpatrick, who also won this event in 2016 and 2020.

Fitzpatrick drained a short birdie putt on No. 18 in regulation to seize a 2-shot lead. But while he was signing his scorecard, he watched McIlroy, 36, force the playoff by rolling in a 15-foot putt for eagle on the 18th hole. The late heroics were nothing new for McIlroy, who also recorded an eagle on the last hole in regulation at the Irish Open in September before winning the playoff at The K Club.

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

Thanks to McIlroy's eagle that gave him a final-round 67, Sweden's Ludvig Aberg (66), Englishmen Laurie Canter (67) and Tommy Fleetwood (67) and Denmark's Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen (68) finished in a four-way tie for third place — all one stroke back of Fitzpatrick and McIlroy. Neergaard-Petersen and McIlroy shared the lead entering the final round. — Reuters