Rory McIlroy has once again wrote himself into the history books after winning a record fourth Dubai Desert Classic at Emirates Golf Club.
Rory McIlroy is a champion once again, after the Northern Irishman chased down overnight leader Cameron Young to defend his Hero Dubai Desert Classic title on Sunday.
McIlroy carded an impressive 14-under-par across the four days to overturn 54-hole leader Cameron Young and defend the title he won for a third time last year. The Northern Irishman had entered the weekend 10 shots behind leader Young, but a superb nine-under 63 on Saturday saw him move within two.
And the Northern Irishman – defending the title he won last year – showed exactly why he is an expert around the Majlis course, overturning the American’s lead inside the opening nine holes before not looking back after the turn.
A birdie at the second hole of the day got the ball rolling for the Northern Irishman, as he kicked off his chase for the lead. Young meanwhile was struggling to keep the defending champion at arms length, bogeying the fourth and sixth to allow the Northern Irishman to move ahead.
McIlroy capitalised perfectly, adding birdies at the eighth and ninth to move him one step closer to a fourth win. Young was quick to get himself back in it with a birdie at 10, but bogey mistakes at 11 and 12 saw him give two shots back to the course, a real let off for McIlroy.
The Northern Irishman did begin to open the door slightly midway through his back nine, as a mistake off the tee at the par-five 13th resulted in bogey. Pars were enough to keep his head just above water though, despite Adrian Meronk’s best efforts, who also started the day a two-under.
Down but not out, Young then joined Meronk in a tie for second with two holes to play after the American rolled in a superb birdie putt from 25-feet at the par-four 16th. Exactly one week earlier McIlroy found himself heading up the 18th of the Dubai Invitational one shot ahead of Tommy Fleetwood, before agonisingly missing out on the title with a bogey at the 72nd hole.
After Meronk cut the lead to one with a birdie at the last hole in the penultimate group of the day, he found himself in the same situation seven days later. Luckily, the four-time major winner avoided any drama this time around by winning with a par at the last hole at Emirates Golf Club.
For the Northern Irishman, who has a win and a second place under his belt before the end of January, it completes an incredible first two weeks of the season. His focus will shift domestically, as he will compete in his first PGA Tour event of the year on February 1 at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.