McIlroy Clinches DP World Tour Final Victory and Race to Dubai

Rory McIlroy has matched Seve Ballesteros by securing his sixth Order of Merit title

Rory McIlroy held off Denmark’s Rasmus Hojgaard to claim victory at the season-ending DP World Tour Championship, securing his sixth Race to Dubai title in the process.

McIlroy shot a 69 in his final round to finish at 15 under par, two strokes clear of Hojgaard, at Jumeirah Golf Estates. The 35-year-old was confirmed as Race to Dubai champion midway through his round, after his closest challenger, Thriston Lawrence, finished at one under. Lawrence needed to win to have any chance of overtaking McIlroy in the rankings.

This victory marked McIlroy's third consecutive Race to Dubai title and his sixth overall, tying the record set by Seve Ballesteros. An emotional McIlroy reflected on what the win meant, especially given his admiration for the late Ballesteros. Everyone knows what Seve means to European golf and Ryder Cup players, McIlroy said in an interview with Sky Sports. In the European Ryder Cup locker room, we have Seve’s quotes on the walls. We even had his shirt from the '95 Ryder Cup in the changing room. He means so much to European golf, and to be mentioned in the same breath as him is something I’m very proud of.

The final round started with McIlroy tied for the lead, but he quickly made his move with four birdies in the first five holes. However, two bogeys on the ninth and 13th allowed Hojgaard to catch up, and the two were level with four holes remaining. Under pressure, McIlroy delivered a clutch approach shot on the 16th, setting up a birdie that gave him a one-stroke lead with two holes to play.

Hojgaard, needing to make a birdie on the 18th to force a playoff, narrowly missed his putt, leaving McIlroy the chance to seal the win. The Northern Irishman drained his own birdie putt to finish the job and claim the title.

While McIlroy celebrated his success on the European Tour, his 2024 season was also marked by near misses, including a heartbreaking loss at the US Open where he finished just one stroke behind Bryson DeChambeau. It’s been a tough year, professionally and personally, so to end 2024 like this feels fitting, McIlroy said. "I’ve had a lot of close calls, and I wasn’t able to get it done in those moments. But to finish the year with this win… I’m really pleased with how I hung in there and got the job done today."

McIlroy’s victory also had a touch of Irish pride, as fellow countryman Tom McKibbin, 21, earned the final dual membership spot for next season after shooting a 72 to finish eight under for the week.