McIlroy Is Race To Dubai No. 1 But Bogey Blunder Hands Fitzpatrick DP World Championship Crown

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Grand Slam champion Rory McIlroy is confirmed at the DP World Tour No. 1 for a seventh occasion but a bogey at the first extra play-off hole handed his double Ryder Cup winning colleague Matt Fitzpatrick the season-ending DP World Tour Championship (DPWTC) crown.

It is a third DPWTC victory for Fitzpatrick that matches a similar number of Jumeirah Estates wins as McIlroy.

McIlroy had been sharing the lead in the final 2025 season event until dropping shots at both the 12th and 15th holes.

Five players had actually gone past McIlroy as he stood on the final at 16-under.

Fitzpatrick, and competing into the second last group of ahead of McIlroy, had birdied 14 and 15 to being among five tied for the lead at 17-under until the Englishman birdied the last in a score of a second straight 66 to set the clubhouse lead on 18-under.

McIlroy then exhibited his enormous talent finding the par-5 18th in two and then calmly rolled in a 15-foot eagle ‘3’ putt in his round of 67 to tie Fitzpatrick and send the tournament into a play-off.

However as both players returned to the 18th McIlroy horribly bogeyed the hole after finding the water with his second shot and leaving Fitzpatrick a comfortable two-putt victorious par.

“It means the world,” said Fitzpatrick.

I struggled at the start of this year, obviously, and to turn it around in the summer like I did and have a Ryder Cup like I did, Ryder Cup in particular, feel like it’s hard to top given everything.

“But the way that I played today, you know, I feel like I really didn’t hit one bad shot all day. I’m so proud of myself, the effort that everyone puts in behind the scenes. Yeah, what a feeling. What a feeling”.

As mentioned, Fitzpatrick wins the DPWTC for a third occasion (2016, 2020 and ’25) and tie McIlroy, who was seeking to win both the tournament and the Race to Dubai No. 1 titles in the same year for a fourth time in his career.

Fitzpatrick had started the final day among a group of six players who were one shot behind McIlroy and fellow DP World Tour win for the former US Open winner.

As evident, McIlroy was ever-gracious in defeat not only embracing Fitzpatrick but also expressing a few words on his his good friend’s triumph.

“I got off to the perfect start. 3-under through five, 4-under through seven. Felt like I had sort of taken control of the golf tournament. Was a couple ahead,” said McIlroy.

“Then, yeah, I made two bogeys on the way in on 12 and 16 and didn’t birdie 14 and 15, the birdie holes. Obviously knew I needed something to happen on the last. I actually hit a great shot on 17, ended up a little short. Hit a great putt that lipped-out.

“On the last, I knew what I had to do. I hit a great 5-wood. Lucky to see Rasmus’s putt before mine. His hung out a little bit before it started to turn, so got a read from him. It was a great way to finish, making the playoff.

“But unfortunately hit it in the water there on 18 in the playoff. Just sort of put me behind the 8-ball. But happy for Matt. He’s had a great end of the season. Played great to get on the Ryder Cup Team, and then he sort of kept it going since, so really happy for him as well.

McIlroy will return home for a fortnight before his last event of the year, teeing-up in the December 4th commencing Australian Open, an event he captured in 2013.

And while delighted to end the DP World Tour season as No. 1 not only for a seventh year but a fourth season in succession, he’ll sit back in First Class on his Florida-bound flight no doubt wondering how he let slip what would have been a 21st Tour victory.

The late Seve Ballasteros holds the record with 50 wins while it was last year McIlroy overtook Seve’s effort of five DP World Tour No. 1 titles, and with McIlroy revealing he met-up with Seve’s wife, Carmen ahead of the final round.

“I met with his wife, Carmen, before I went out to play today, and she told me how proud he would have been,” said McIlroy.

“You know, I said this on this green last year, he means so much to this tour and to the European Ryder Cup Team. We rally so much around his spirit and his quotes and everything he meant for European golf.

“To equal him last year was cool but to surpass him this year, yeah, I didn’t get this far in my dreams, so it’s very cool”.

Matching Seve’s milestone is still 10 wins away for McIlroy while a closer goal is Colin Montgomerie’s achievement of eight Race to Dubai No. 1 crowns and with Rors also revealing he spoke with Monty earlier in the week when the Scot was in Dubai.

“I want it, of course I do”, McIlroy said when asked of his goal to match Monty’s record.

“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”.

 

 



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