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Rory McIlroy
DP World Tour Championship: McIlroy clinches overall title as Fitzpatrick wins in Dubai
Follow live final round updates of the DP World Tour's season finale in Dubai.
A tearful Rory McIlroy admitted he "did not get this far in my dreams" after he clinched his seventh order of merit title at the DP World Tour Championship.
McIlroy entered the final round tied for the lead with Denmark's Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen but pulled away from the chasing pack early.
Birdies in four out of his first five holes gave McIlroy a comfortable lead and by the 11th hole he led by two strokes, but he was reeled in on a chaotic final day in Dubai.
In the end, McIlroy was forced to hole an eagle on the 72nd hole to force a play-off with his Ryder Cup teammate Matthew Fitzpatrick.
Both players finished on a total of 18-under par, one clear of Laurie Canter, Tommy Fleetwood, Ludvig Aberg and the aforementioned Neergaard-Petersen.
McIlroy could only manage a bogey six on the first play-off hole and lost the tournament overall to Fitzpatrick.
The consolation for McIlroy was that he sealed the Race to Dubai for the seventh occasion and fourth year in a row.
He has now surpassed Seve Ballesteros' record and moved one step closer to matching Colin Montgomerie's haul of eight.
McIlroy was reduced to tears in the immediate aftermath as he paid tribute to Fitzpatrick for the win as well as Montgomerie and Ballesteros.
It caps off a truly remarkable year in which he won The Masters, Players Championship, Irish Open and helped Europe win the Ryder Cup on away soil for the first time since 2012.
"I had a conversation with Carmen [Ballesteros' former wife] before I went out to play and she told me how proud he would have been," he told Sky Sports.
"He means so much to this Tour and the European Ryder Cup team. We rally so much around his spirit, his quotes and everything he meant for European golf.
"To surpass him this year, I did not get this far in my dream."
Of Montgomerie's record, McIlroy said: "I was the first European to win the Grand Slam and I would love to be the European with the most wins in terms of the season-long races."
1 | Matthew Fitzpatrick | -18 |
2 | Rory McIlroy | -18 |
3 | Ludvig Aaberg | -17 |
3 | Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen | -17 |
3 | Laurie Canter | -17 |
3 | Tommy Fleetwood | -17 |
7 | Rasmus Hoejgaard | -15 |
8 | Angel Ayora | -14 |
8 | Haotong Li | -14 |
8 | Robert MacIntyre | -14 |
11 | Jacob Skov Olesen | -13 |
11 | Shane Lowry | -13 |
11 | Nicolai Hoejgaard | -13 |
16 Nov 2025
12:41
Rory McIlroy moves closer to Monty
While Rory McIlroy came up shy in the DP World Tour Championship, the result means that he has secured the order of merit title for fourth consecutive year.
It's a seventh Race to Dubai title overall for the 36-year-old and he is now one behind Colin Montgomerie's haul.
12:39
Matthew Fitzpatrick wins DP World Tour Championship
Matthew Fitzpatrick makes no mistake and rolls in the short putt to win the 2025 DP World Tour Championship.
This is the third time he has won the season-ending finale.
He shares a warm embrace with Rory McIlroy.
12:38
McIlroy misses
McIlroy pays the price for a poor tee shot. His par putt comes up short.
That's a bogey and Fitzpatrick has a short putt to claim the DP World Tour Championship.
12:36
Poor from Rory McIlroy
Rory McIlroy has a long bunker shot to contend wit here. He can land it on the ridge and watch it gather pace or fly it all the way. He decides to go with the former and comes up shy.
Fitzpatrick plays a beautiful chip up close. Surely that's a five.
McIlroy heroics are needed to extend this...
12:33
Fitzpatrick misses the green
Matthew Fitzpatrick makes a mistake with his third, missing the green right. Not an ideal spot at all.
12:31
McIlroy in the bunker
Rory McIlroy takes his drop. He has 235 yards to the pin.
He flares it right and lands in the bunker next to the green.
Huge advantage to Matthew Fitzpatrick now.
12:28
Fitzpatrick gets lucky
Matthew Fitzpatrick studies the lie and eventually decides to play conservatively.
His golf ball just about carries the water by a few yards. That wasn't on purpose...
12:23
Advantage Fitzpatrick
Matthew Fitzpatrick is away first and elects for a 3-wood once again.
It goes left but carries the bunkers and settles in the first cut.
That looks like he'll be forced to lay-up from there.
What can Rory McIlroy do? Oh no, he's in the water...
Advantage Fitzpatrick.
12:20
Fitzpatrick greets McIlroy
Matthew Fitzpatrick watched Rory McIlroy drain that putt on the 72nd hole from the scorer's hut.
The pair share a warm embrace before jumping on carts to head back to the 18th tee box.
Hot mics pick up Fitzpatrick saying "well done" to his Ryder Cup teammate.
12:18
Who wins? Have your say...
Comment at the bottom of this page with your predictions...
12:14
RORY MCILROY FINDS THE EAGLE
McIlroy -18 (67)
My word! Rory McIlroy has done it again!
The putt drops and we are headed to a play-off to decide the DP World Tour Championship.
"He really is box office this guy," opines Paul McGinley on the Sky Sports broadcast.
We're headed back to the 18th.
RORY MCILROY!
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) November 16, 2025
He eagles the 72nd hole to send the season finale to a play-off!#DPWTC | #RolexSeriespic.twitter.com/MkS4mJlqlj
12:12
Neergaard-Petersen up first
Neergaard-Petersen -17 (68)
It's a great effort from the Dane but he misses high.
He'll come up one shy...
12:09
Eagle chances
McIlroy -16, Neergaard-Petersen -16 (18*)
Neergaard-Petersen is away first. He's played some incredible golf over the last hour or so and that is another cracking shot. Straight in the heart of the green. That's a great chance for an eagle.
Now what can Rory McIlroy do from 235 yards? It's brilliant. Slightly inside the Dane.
Earlier in the season, McIlroy made an eagle on the 72nd hole of the Irish Open to force a play-off - which he then won.
Will there be another moment of McIlroy magic?
12:06
Fitzpatrick sets the target
Fitzpatrick -18 (66)
Matthew Fitzpatrick takes little time over his birdie putt.
It's straight in the middle.
A bogey-free 66 from the 2022 US Open champion.
Over to you, Rors...
12:04
Excellent from Fitzpatrick
Fitzpatrick -17 (18*)
Up ahead, Matthew Fitzpatrick plays a delightful bump-and-run that rolls out to around seven feet.
Should he make that, then Rory McIlroy would need an eagle to force a play-off.
12:02
Superb tee shots
R. McIlroy -16, Neergaard-Petersen -16 (18*)
Glorious tee shot from Rory McIlroy at the 18th. That's miles down there.
His playing partner also hits a beauty.
12:00
Fitzpatrick sets up good chance for closing birdie
Fitzpatrick -17 (18*)
After a long wait, Fitzpatrick takes dead aim from 273 yards.
He yells 'fore', but it's actually a good leave - just short of the bunker.
Decent chance here to get up and down for a birdie...
11:54
Traffic jam
The penultimate group of Matthew Fitzpatrick and Rasmus Hojgaard are ready to hit their second shots into the 18th green but are being held up by Angel Ayora ahead.
The young Spaniard found the water with his third and needs some help from a rules official about taking the correct drop.
Rory McIlroy and Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen are also waiting on the tee box.
11:48
McIlroy lips out
McIlroy -16, Neergaard-Petersen -16 (17)
McIlroy is away first at the 17th.
It's tracking right in the middle of the cup but is a touch firm and lips out!
How did that not go?
His playing partner tidies up his short birdie putt to reach 16-under.
One to play.
Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen was this close to winning a car with his penultimate tee shot of the season #DPWTC | #RolexSeriespic.twitter.com/hluNWHldPN
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) November 16, 2025
11:44
Fleetwood joins the party
T. Fleetwood -17 (67), L. Canter -17 (67)
Tommy Fleetwood makes a birdie at the last to join the group of four players on 17-under par.
That really is remarkable from the FedEx Cup winner as he looked out of this two hours ago.
11:43
Amazing from Neergaard-Petersen
McIlroy -16, Neergaard-Petersen -15 (17*)
The final group have reached the par-three 17th.
The Dane is away first and hits a remarkable tee shot that lands softly next to the pin.
That is almost a gimme and surely he will join the group on 16-under.
Now what can Rory McIlroy do? He's watching it closely - it lands on the ridge and trickles further away.
That just needed a bit more.
11:36
Messy from Rory McIlroy
McIlroy -16 (16)
Rory McIlroy pays the price for a poor tee shot.
A lengthy par putt at the 16th misses low and suddenly he is the chaser.
Meanwhile, Matthew Fitzpatrick makes a birdie at the 14th to share the lead on 17-under with Ludvig Aberg and Laurie Canter.
Canter is coming down the last now with Tommy Fleetwood.
11:33
Aberg sets the target
Ludvig Aberg -17 (66)
Simply brilliant from the young Swede at the last.
He plays a delightful chip that rolls out to about five feet and makes no mistake with his birdie putt to reach 17-under par.
11:28
McIlroy in trouble
McIlroy -17 (16*)
Rory McIlroy is in a spot of bother over at the par-four 16th.
His tee shot finds the fairway bunker and it looked as though he was going to take his medicine and advance his ball down the fairway with a wedge.
But the five-time major champion goes for it and is very lucky to not find the water.
He'll have a very tricky chip from there...
