England’s Tyrrell Hatton said it was “a dream come true” after the LIV Golf player continued his remarkable form on the European Tour on Sunday by winning the Dubai Desert Classic as Rory McIlroy’s valiant effort to win the title three years in a row failed.
On the Majlis course at the Emirates Golf Club, the 33-year-old Englishman holed a challenging five-foot putt on the 18th to stay ahead of New Zealand leader Daniel Hillier (71), who had reduced the lead. gap with a shot with his own birdie on the par 5 final hole.
Although he started the day with a bogey, Hatton closed with a solid three-under-par 69 for a total of 15-under-par. His fifth Rolex Series victory ties him with his LIV Golf captain Jon Rahm for the most wins in the high-events version of the European Tour supported by DP World.
The Englishwoman Laurie Canter (68 years old) was alone third at 13 under.
McIlroy shot a 66, with five birdies on the back nine, to move into a tie for fourth place alongside Danish sensation Niklas Norgaard (66).
Hatton, who is playing on the DP World Tour because he appealed his fines (for playing on LIV Golf) and did not resign his membership, is expected to move from 17th to eighth in the world rankings golf when it is updated. Monday.
He started the day one shot behind Hillier and took a decisive lead on the fifth hole when he birdied it, while the Kiwi missed his chip for bogey.
Hatton, a three-time Ryder Cup star, had a moment of anxiety on the par-3 seventh hole, where his tee shot stopped dangerously close to the water, but he continued to make a par three.
“I’m not going to lie, I was pretty nervous on the back nine, to be honest. I guess I wanted it maybe a little too much. I knew the position I was in, and I was a little scruffy in the last one “But to see that putt go in, it was amazing,” Hatton said.
– ‘Auspicious’ –
“I said it earlier in the week, this is one of the events you’d love to have on your CV. It’s such an iconic event for the DP World Tour. To add my name to the list of incredible champions who came before me, it’s a dream come true.”
Hatton recorded his second victory in four starts following his triumph at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship last October.
McIlroy said he was pleased with the way he played this weekend in his first start of the year.
“I probably left myself a little too much to do after three days. I had chances and I was burning around the edges,” McIlroy said.
“I felt like I rode pretty well without anything going in and today I didn’t really feel like I was playing any different than how I’ve been playing the last few days.
“I just made a few putts and made a few good ups and downs when I needed to. I feel like I’ve gotten progressively better as the week has gone on, which obviously bodes well for the next few weeks.”
Although he missed out on the title, it was still a 12th consecutive top 10 finish in the tournament for the Northern Irishman.
The last time he didn’t make the top 10 was in 2008, when he missed the cut.
Japan’s Keita Nakajima achieved the first albatross of the season when he hit his second shot from 244 yards on the par-5 18th. This catapulted him to 21st place.
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