Rory McIlroy narrowly missed out on the DP World Championship title on Sunday afternoon as he was overwhelmed to the punch by Matt Fitzpatrick in a good play-off
Matt Fitzpatrick beat Rory McIlroy for the DP World Championship (Picture: Getty)
Rory McIlroy was heard joking with Matt Fitzpatrick that he hoped to play only one play-off gap in opposition to the Englishman moments earlier than he suffered defeat on the DP World Championship. It was a case of shut however no cigar for McIlroy on the Earth Course on Sunday, regardless of staging a exceptional comeback.
The 36-year-old dug deep from two strokes down at T5 alongside Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen to eagle the 18th gap and pressure occasion chief Fitzpatrick right into a tie-break. Sporting a glance of fatigue after the hectic four-day season finale, McIlroy was noticed partaking in a quick change of phrases with the 31-year-old moments earlier than the 2 males ran a repeat of the par-five 18th. Sitting on a buggy and able to go, Fitzpatrick joked: “Oh come on…You possibly can’t be drained, we have got a couple of holes left,” earlier than McIlroy clapped again: “Hopefully one,” with a chuckle.
Whereas McIlroy may have hoped that the opening went in his favour, it sadly wasn’t his day, with Fitzpatrick placing for par to his bogey to win the World Championship and the staggering £2.3million winner’s prize which accompanies it. Chatting with Sky Sports activities after his win, Fitzpatrick mentioned: “It means the world.
“Struggled in the beginning of this yr clearly, and to show it spherical in the summertime like I did, and have the Ryder Cup like I did – Ryder Cup specifically I believe it is onerous to prime, given all the things. However the best way that I performed right now, I felt like I actually hit one dangerous shot all day. I am simply so pleased with myself, the trouble that everybody places in behind the scenes. My staff and stuff. What a sense.”
McIlroy, in the meantime, added: “Bought off to the right begin, three-under by means of 5, four-under by means of seven. Felt like I might form of taken management of the golf event, was a pair forward, after which I made two bogeys on the best way in on 12 and 16 and did not birdie 14 and 15, the birdie holes. Clearly knew I wanted one thing to occur on the final.
“I really hit an ideal shot on 17, got here up a bit brief on an ideal putt then lipped out. However yeah, I knew what I wanted to do. I hit an ideal 5 wooden, fortunate to see Rasmus’ putt earlier than mine; noticed his form of frolicked to the correct a bit bit earlier than it began to show so acquired a little bit of a learn from him.
“And yeah, look, a good way to complete. It was good to have the ability to summon what I wanted to to make the play-off. However sadly hitting it within the water there on 18 within the play-off simply form of put me behind the eight-ball, however completely satisfied for Matt. He is had an ideal finish to the season. Performed nice to get on the Ryder Cup staff, after which he is form of stored it going since. So actually completely satisfied for him as properly.”
The silver lining of the day for McIlroy was that, due to his runner-up end on the World Championship, he was capable of safe a seventh Race to Dubai title, surpassing the late Seve Ballesteros’ tally of six and now only one away from Colin Montgomerie’s document of eight. Talking about Ballesteoris at greenside, McIlroy mentioned: “I had a dialog along with his spouse Carmen earlier than I went out to play right now and she or he instructed me how proud he would have been.
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“I mentioned this on this inexperienced final yr, he means a lot to this tour and to the European Ryder Cup staff. We rally a lot round his spirit and his quotes and all the things he meant for European golf. To equal him final yr was cool, however to go him this yr…I didn’t get this far in my goals, so it’s very cool.”
Because of profitable the Race to Dubai, McIlroy will obtain a staggering £1.5m bonus on prime of the £912,000 second-place prize from the DP World Championship, capping off an unimaginable season which noticed him clinch the Profession Grand Slam and win the Ryder Cup with Workforce Europe on American soil.
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