Tommy Fleetwood wins in Dubai as Rory McIlroy falters on No. 18

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Tommy Fleetwood benefited from two large errors on the again 9 from Rory McIlroy and produced his personal robust end to win the Dubai Invitational following a back-and-forth final-round duel Sunday.

McIlroy had already three-putted from 2 ft at No. 14 by the point he reached the 18th tee with a 1-shot lead over Fleetwood and pulled his drive into the water.

Fleetwood adopted that by driving into the center of the golf green and despatched his strategy to 16 ft, effectively inside McIlroy after the world No. 2 needed to take a drop.

McIlroy missed his winding putt up the hill, and Fleetwood made his personal to shoot 67 for 19-under 265 total, securing a primary win for the reason that Nedbank Golf Problem in November 2022.

He was a stroke away from McIlroy (67), who tied for second place with Thriston Lawrence (64) within the first European tour occasion of 2024.

“First week again out, I feel you are going to count on a few of these sloppy errors,” McIlroy mentioned. “Sadly for me, these errors got here on the fallacious time right this moment.”

McIlroy smiled and gave Fleetwood an enormous hug on the 18th inexperienced after lacking out on a primary victory for the reason that Scottish Open in July. They’re shut associates and have been enjoying companions on the Ryder Cup final 12 months.

“It is at all times very particular whenever you play with one in all your pals, the most effective gamers on the earth, difficult your self in opposition to these guys,” the Fifteenth-ranked Fleetwood mentioned. “Rory’s been a really, very supportive affect on me over the previous. … I’ve watched him do wonderful issues down the stretch in golf tournaments, and right this moment was my flip.”

McIlroy, the world No. 2, began the day a stroke again from Fleetwood and was 3 behind after the tenth gap. However 4 birdies in a five-hole stretch — on both facet of that unfathomable three-putt on the par-3 14th — put him right into a tie with Fleetwood.

After a sloppy bogey at No. 16, Fleetwood holed a birdie putt from 30 ft on the seventeenth to remain inside 1 shot of McIlroy after which capitalized on his enjoying associate’s worst swing of the day on the 18th tee.

“I’ve had loads of occasions the place any person has completed effectively in opposition to me after I’ve not fairly performed sufficient, and right this moment was my flip to stroll via the door right this moment,” mentioned Fleetwood, who lives in Dubai. “It was simply a kind of issues. You be taught each time you play, good, dangerous, no matter it’s, you at all times ought to be taught each time you play. The extra you place your self in these positions, you retain determining who you need to be as a participant whenever you’re on the market, what angle you need to have, the way you need to play, and simply work towards that, and right this moment was a superb day for me.”