DP World Tour Championship: It wasn’t meant to be for Rory McIlroy in Dubai
MacIntyre and McIlroy philosophical as Morikawa is just to good
Over four days, Rory McIlroy was always flirting with the lead at the DP World Tour Championship on the Earth Corse at Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai.
However it was not meant to be as world No. 2 Collin Morikawa put the foot down on Sunday to secure the season-ending crown and the season-long Race to Dubai title.
The Northern Irishman, who was looking for his third DP World title, rued a couple of expensive shots over the second and fourth rounds in the UAE, but was graceful in defeat as Morikawa turned on the style to illustrate why he already has two major titles — the 2020 PGA and the 2021 Open Championship — and a Ryder Cup in the bag at the age of 24. McIlroy finished sixth after a final round 74 took him out of contention.
“I am playing golf again and it is great to be contending again,” McIlroy said this week after some strong performances in the States saw him win the CJ Cup last month after a bit of a trophy drought. “I’ve been hitting that 3-wood pretty well all week. I’m right where I want to be. I want to be contending on Sundays in golf tournaments and feel like I’m back to playing the way I should and the way that will get me back contending. I’m excited.”
It was a similar story for Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre as he also came up short in his bid for the biggest day of his young career so far.
MacIntyre has made a major stamp on the European Tour since he secured his card in Ras Al Khaimah in 2018 and he was within touching distance of the title this week in Dubai.
He finished in a tie for fourth, four strokes behind Morikawa, but he knows bigger and brighter things are just around the corner.
As for Matt Fitzpatrick and a newfound confidence on tour, he left it late in Dubai, but he matched Morikawa’s stunning 66 to finished tied second alongside Sweden’s Alexander Bjork.
“I would be lying to you if I said I wasn’t watching what Matt Fitzpatrick was doing. Boy, did he put on a run,” Morikawa said. “But it’s 18 holes. All I needed to do was catch a spark. The putts weren’t dropping and I just told myself when I looked at the leaderboard after nine that I was still in there.”
Fitzpatrick, McIlroy and MacIntyre all know there will be more chances to win soon enough, but Morikawa will take some stopping on the rebranded DP World Tour next season.