Tommy Fleetwood takes advantage of a wayward tee shot on the final hole from Rory McIlroy to win the Dubai Invitational.
The two European stars were in the final group and found company in the form of Thriston Lawrence, with the South African posting a 64 to take the clubhouse lead.
However, McIlroy held a one-shot advantage on the last and was aware that a par would almost certainly guarantee at least a playoff, but the Northern Irishman sent his drive into the water.
After McIlroy could only make bogey, Fleetwood had the chance to seal victory with a turning putt up the slope, and he converted it to back up the birdie that he had holed from distance on the previous hole.
Birdie-birdie finish.@TommyFleetwood1 wins in Dubai! 🏆#DubaiInvitational pic.twitter.com/pVB4zVhJVE
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) January 14, 2024
Fleetwood's lifts his first trophy since the 2022 Nedbank Challenge, while McIlroy is forced to settle for joint-second alongside Lawrence.
England's Jordan Smith was fourth on his own, with Francesco Molinari kicking off his year in style with fifth as he bids to make inroads up the World Golf Rankings from 256th position.
Further down the leaderboard, Europe Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald finished a credible 20th, and Nicolai Hojgaard was two shots further down in 25th spot.
Darren Plant
