Rory McIlroy recorded a pair of victories on Sunday, winning the DP World Tour Championship by two strokes and securing his third straight Race to Dubai title and sixth overall.
McIlroy, ranked third in the world, carded a 3-under-par 69 on the final round to seize a two-stroke victory over Rasmus Hojgaard of Denmark.
The 35-year-old Northern Ireland native finished strong with birdies on the 16th and 18th holes to end up 15-under 273 at Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
McIlroy was clearly emotional after the win, noting the ups and downs of a tumultuous year. “I’ve been through a lot this year, professionally and personally,” McIlroy said. “It feels like the fitting end to 2024. I’ve persevered this year a lot.”
McIlroy’s six titles in the European Tour’s season-long Race to Dubai — formerly known as the Order of Merit — ties the late Seve Ballesteros for the second behind Scotland’s Colin Montgomerie (eight).
“It’s really cool, I think everyone knows what Seve means to European golf, to Ryder Cup players,” 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 pocketed $5 million on Sunday — $3 million from the tournament and $2 for the Race to Dubai.
He finished 1,785.02 points over South African Thriston Lawrence, who finished at 1-under for the tournament. McIlroy needed to finish in the top 11 of the tournament to capture his sixth season crown.
Frenchman Antoine Rozner, who shared the final-round lead with McIlroy and Hojgaard, had a three-putt double bogey on the ninth hole. He finished with a 73 on Sunday and tied Australian Adam Scott (68) and Ireland’s Shane Lowry (68) for third place.
“I feel like I’m leaving the golf course here in Dubai in a better position than I was this time last year, so pretty happy with myself,” Lowry said. “I think when I reflect on the season, I’m going to be pretty happy with that, too. I feel like I would like to have won, and feel like I could have with the golf I’ve played but I showed this year that I still have a lot of go golf in me.”
England’s Tyrell Hatton (71) finished in sixth place at 10-under, one stroke ahead Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre (70), Japan’s Keita Nakajima (71), Sweden’s Jesper Svensson (73) and Chilean Joaquin Niemann (73).
