DP World Tour Championship final leaderboard
-15 Hatton (Eng); -10 McIlroy (NI); -8 Chacarra (Spa), Lindell (Fin); -7 Olesen (Den), Reitan (Nor), Laporta (Ita), Lindberg (Swe), Perez (Fra)
Selected others: -4 Wallace (Eng); -3 Rahm (Spa), Schaper (SA); Level Fleetwwod (Eng), Reed (US), Fox (NZ); +1 Rai (Eng)
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Rory McIlroy wiped away tears as he dedicated his eighth Race to Dubai victory to his ill father, Gerry.
Moments after matching Colin Montgomerie’s record of season-long European tour titles on Sunday, the Northern Irishman was asked about the health of his father.
An emotional McIlroy revealed Gerry has been in hospital for two months after “a huge operation” – a double lung transplant – at the end of September.
“He’s recovering well, thankfully,” McIlroy told the DP World Tour.
“But before I left to come here to the Middle East, I went up to Cleveland to see him. He said to me: ‘Go win The Race to Dubai’.
“This one’s for him.”
It came after a thrilling climax at the traditional season-ending DP World Tour Championship with Tyrrell Hatton securing a commanding victory, while McIlroy pipped Spaniard Eugenio Chacarra to the overall crown.
Hatton’s closing six-under-par 66 helped him romp to a five-shot victory on 15 under par but most eyes were on the thrilling battle that went down to the final hole.
It is the fifth successive year that McIlroy has won the award and it has drawn him level with Montgomerie, the Scot who set a mark 21 years ago that few thought would ever be matched.
“Yeah, double digits,” smiled McIlroy when asked what would be his final target of Race to Dubai victories.
“I’d love to surpass Monty next year and we’ll go from there.”
McIlroy’s confidence in going along with a target shouted out by the fans surrounding the 18th green at the Earth Course in Dubai on Sunday was refreshing to hear.
But he appears to be playing and talking with a little more freedom in recent years – the sort of freedom that comes as a result of finally completing the career Grand Slam and winning successive Masters titles – and leads to declarations of winning 10, or more.
“Winning eight Order of Merits (Race to Dubai titles) was never in my list of goals growing up,” said McIlroy, who closed with a bogey-free 67 to finish on 10 under and must surely now be considered Europe’s greatest golfer.
“I remember Monty being a stalwart of the European tour and playing with him at the London Club in 2008, so to pull up alongside him and win eight of these means the world to me.”