10:03
Trouble off the tee for McIlroy
McIlroy -17 (10*)
Rory McIlroy makes his par at the ninth but hits squirrelly tee shot down the next.
Tree trouble.
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
10:02
Aberg chips in
L. Aberg -16 (12)
Bit of magic from Ludvig Aberg over at the 12th, holing out from 38 yards for an unlikely birdie.
Now he's only one back.
Ludvig Åberg chips in to move to within one of the lead! #DPWTC | #RolexSeriespic.twitter.com/QIZu0JdStf
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) November 16, 2025
09:58
Canter gets to within one
L. Canter -16 (11)
Laurie Canter finds the fringe with his approach over at the 11th.
The Englishman elects to putt through the first cut of rough and it immediately looks as though he hasn't given it enough... then it gathers pace and catches the right edge.
Sensational putt.
09:51
Average approach from McIlroy
McIlroy -17 (9*)
Rory McIlroy hits a glorious drive down the middle of the fairway at the ninth.
From 163 yards, the approach is average by his standards...
09:47
Tommy Fleetwood needs a big back nine
T. Fleetwood -13 (10)
A birdie putt finally drops for Tommy Fleetwood.
Victory is not impossible here for the in-form Englishman but you get the sense he needs an otherworldly back nine if he is to have any chance.
09:43
Leaderboard latest
-17 McIlroy
-15 Rose, Aberg, Canter, Fitzpatrick
-14 Ayora
-13 MacIntyre, Li
09:43
Par for McIlroy
McIlroy -17, Neegaard -12 (8)
McIlroy's effort is slow and he tidies up for his par.
Neergaard-Petersen drops makes his third bogey of the day and drops back.
09:41
McIlroy sets up another birdie chance
McIlroy -17 (8*)
Rory McIlroy has reached the par-four eighth.
He hates his approach and yells at his golf ball to sit - it obliges and hangs onto the back of the green.
It's an outside chance for a three.
09:36
Aberg making a charge
L. Aberg -15 (10)
Don't rule out Ludvig Aberg just yet.
The Swede finds his second birdie in the space of four holes.
09:31
McIlroy moves two clear
McIlroy -17, Petersen (13) (7)
McIlroy sends a 4-iron into orbit at the par-five seventh. It's left.
His chip from across the green threatens the hole and eventually stops about eight feet past.
McIlroy makes no mistake with his birdie putt and is now two in front.
Meanwhile, his playing partner Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen makes an unlikely birdie by holing out from 99 yards.
The Dane was in trouble off the tee.
"That might be the best four I've ever made," he says to McIlroy.
"Might be the best four I've ever made!"
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) November 16, 2025
After hitting his tee shot into the wasteland and hacking out sideways, Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen makes the most unlikely of birdies #DPWTC | #RolexSeriespic.twitter.com/xsRQ7L8skH
09:28
Canter drops back
Canter -15 (8)
Grim stuff from Laurie Canter over at the eighth, who takes three putts from 20 feet.
And he's got his work cut out to save par on the ninth.
09:26
Marco Penge can't wait to get onto the PGA Tour
Marco Penge came into the DP World Tour Championship hoping to pull off an almighty upset by reeling in Rory McIlroy in the Race to Dubai standings.
Unfortunately he has come up short but it has still been a brilliant season for the 27-year-old.
Speaking after a final-round 67, Penge tells Sky Sports it's been "the year of my life".
"This was was disrupted [by illness] and I didn't get off to the start I wanted on Thursday, but as soon as I got off the meds I was proud of how I fought back this week."
Penge has also secured one of 10 PGA Tour cards.
"I'm looking forward to playing big events on that side of the pond," he says.
"I'll miss the players and staff and tour in general but hopefully I'll be playing as much as I can on the DP World Tour."
09:16
Hatton birdie
Hatton -12 (7)
Not the start Tyrrell Hatton would've wanted today with two bogeys in his first seven holes.
He taps in for birdie at the seventh, though, and is four back.
He'll need an otherworldly back nine and hope that the wheels come off for Rory McIlroy.
Doesn't seem likely, does it?
09:14
McIlroy saves par
McIlroy -16 , Neegaard -12 (6)
McIlroy makes his three from five feet to remain tied at the top with Canter.
His playing partner also two-putts for his par.
McIlroy has the driver out at the par-five seventh. It's in the middle of the fairway again.
09:10
Heavy-handed from McIlroy
McIlroy -16 (6*)
McIlroy slightly tugs his tee shot over at the par-three sixth and is somewhat fortunate that his ball is dry.
He decides to putt and his second races by the cup.
First test of the day incoming...
09:07
Leaderboard latest
-16 Canter, McIlroy
-15 Rose, Fitzpatrick
-14 Aberg
-13 MacIntyre, Ayora
-12 Fleetwood
09:04
Another birdie for Rory McIlroy
McIlroy -16 (5)
McIlroy's terrific start continues.
He converts from six feet and joins Canter on 16-under.
09:01
Laurie Canter takes the outright lead
L. Canter -16 (7)
Some start here from Laurie Canter.
His fourth birdie of the day drops at the seventh and now he is the man out in front.
08:59
Fitzpatrick joins the party
M. Fitzpatrick -15 (5)
Another European Ryder Cup hero is the latest to get to 15-under.
Fitzpatrick fires a wedge to five feet at the fifth and makes no mistake.
Three at the top.
08:57
Another good chance for McIlroy
McIlroy -15 (5*)
Fairway found over at the fifth for Rory McIlroy.
Another wedge lands close and he'll have the chance to take the outright lead.
08:52
The eagle lands for Justin Rose
Rose -15 (7)
My word.
What a shot from Justin Rose over at the par-five seventh.
The 45-year-old goes flag hunting with a fairway wood and it's almost a gimme.
He has no problem converting.
All of a sudden we have three players on 15-under.
What a golf shot! @JustinRose99 makes the first eagle of the day at the 7th hole thanks to this incredible approach shot and joins the lead at -15.#DPWTC | #RolexSeriespic.twitter.com/eEPJ50Jien
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) November 16, 2025
08:50
Par for McIlroy
McIlroy -15 (4)
McIlroy is in the middle of the green over at the par-three fourth.
His birdie putt from 38 feet burns the edge. That would have been some two.
It's a par for the grand slam winner.
08:47
Leaderboard latest
-15 McIlroy, Canter
-14 Fitzpatrick
-13 Rose, Aberg, Ayora, Neergaard
-12 MacIntyre
08:46
Fitzpatrick drains a long one
M. Fitzpatrick -14 (4)
It's all happening at the moment.
Matthew Fitzpatrick makes a huge move with an unlikely birdie at the fourth.
He's just drained a 50-footer to move within one of the leaders.
08:43
Rory McIlroy misses chance for three in a row
McIlroy -15, Neergaard -13 (3)
It's another brilliant approach from McIlroy at the third.
A 12-foot birdie putt just slides past. Chance missed.
His playing partner drops a shot.
