Rory's double win

The DP World Tour Championship and season finale took place on the Greg Norman-designed Earth course at the Jumeriah Golf Estates in Dubai. Rory McIlroy played consistently well throughout the tournament to earn his first victory since he won the Zurich Classic with Shane Lowry back in April.

Come the end of the third round, McIlroy was leading on 12-under-par alongside Antoine Rozner and Rasmus Højgaard. Rozner would succumb to the pressure on the final day with a lacklustre 1-over-par performance and finish the tournament in tied third place.

Rory had an excellent start to his Sunday, making four consecutive birdies within his first 5 holes. However, two mid-round bogeys would have him drop to 13-under-par, the same place as Højgaard. While the Dane would continue with a steady even-par back-9, McIlroy pulled ahead with birdies on the 16^th and 18^th to win by a clear 2 strokes.

The win was clearly a huge achievement for Rory who’s successful 2024 season is tinged with a disappointing lack of a major trophy. He notably fell short at the very end of the U.S. Open in June, with Bryson DeChambeau stealing victory. His success this weekend has reminded onlookers of his resilience to bounce back from failure:

“I’ve been through a lot this year, professionally, personally, and it feels like a fitting end to 2024. 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… I’m really pleased with the way I finished and thankfully I hung on on a tough day and got the job done.”

In a rare achievement, Rory McIlroy secured winning the season-long Race to Dubai alongside the Tour Championship. Already far ahead of second-placed Thriston Lawrence prior to the tournament, Rory was confirmed the winner when the South African finished far from the lead in Tied 30^th position. Having now claimed 6 Race to Dubai titles, the same number as Seve Ballesteros, Rory was overcome with emotion when reminiscing over the legendary Spaniard:

“Yeah, it’s really cool. I think everyone knows what Seve means to European golf, to Ryder Cup players. In the European Ryder Cup locker room, all we have our quotes from Seve, we have a changing room with Seve’s shirt from 95’, the last Ryder Cup he played. He means so much to European golf and to be mentioned in the same breath, I’m very proud.”

Rory’s ability to bounce back from defeat is admirable, and his likeable character is a key contribution to his enduring popularity. He came very close this year, and his triumph this weekend was a compelling argument for not giving up the dream that he’ll lift another major trophy in future.