McIlroy wins fourth Dubai Desert Classic
Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland poses for a photo with the trophy on the 18th green after winning the 2024 Hero Dubai Desert Classic at Emirates Golf Club on January 21, 2024 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)
Rory McIlroy looks like a man on a mission in 2024 after he put the previous week’s Dubai reverse behind him and ground out a record fourth win in the Hero Dubai Desert Classic.
Seven days after the world number two bogeyed the last to lose to Dubai Invitational to a Tommy Fleetwood, McIlroy completed a comeback came from ten shots behind at halfway and two behind Cameron Young overnight when he carded a two-under 70 to retain his title by a shot from Adrian Meronk on 14-under par.
“Yeah, it's really cool,” McIlroy said. “You know, I didn't really think about that during the course of the round.
“You know, it was a really tricky day. It was hard to get it close and make a ton of birdies.
It was a composed performance from McIlroy, who birdied the second to cut the gap to a shot, then took advantage of bogeys by Young at the fourth and sixth to seize control.
Birdies at the eighth and ninth, where he rolled in a big breaking 32 footer, followed by a 16 footer, put him three clear.
While he failed to birdie the par-five 10th, he was four clear playing the 13th, where a bogey six off a wild drive gave the tournament some excitement.
Playing in the match ahead, Meronk cut the gap to a shot with birdies at the 10th, 13th and 14th as Young bogeyed the 11th and 12th.
The American would card a two-over 74 alongside McIlroy to finish third, two behind, as Meronk and McIlroy duelled over the closing holes.
The Pole would bogey the 16th, however, and while he would birdie then last to get within one of McIlroy with a 71, the Co Down man closed with five pars to clinch his 17th DP World Tour win.
“The pivotal point for me came on the 8th and 9th hole,” McIlroy said. “Making two threes there, that sort of set me up to try to control it on the way in.
“I made that one blunder on 13, and made bogey there but felt like I steadied the ship well over the last few holes, and yeah, it was one of those days where there wasn't a ton of fireworks just because the course was so difficult but I held on as best as I could and thankfully no one around the top of the leaderboard made much of a run.”
McIlroy was thrilled to retain his title and come from ten shots behind at halfway to win.
“I thought the way the golf course was trending, I thought two 67s would really have a chance,” he said. “You know, obviously the 63 yesterday put me in a great position.
“But yeah, I thought on Friday night, I thought 10-under for the weekend, I would have a really good chance to win.
“I shot 11, and ended up winning by one. Played the game long enough to sort of know how these things are going to go.
“Thankfully I played the golf I needed to and just incredible to get my fourth win here at the Emirates.”
As for his composed final round, he added: “I thought just steady the ship. I didn't birdie 10, and I didn't even par 13. Those are the two birdie holes on the start of the nine.
“So I just thought I would steady the ship. I felt like if I could make par on 14, 15 and 16, I wasn't going to lose much ground then, and then obviously I had two chances on the last two holes.
“Ended up, didn't need to birdie one of them. But my game plan was for those last five, get through those first three in even pars and then take my chances at the last hole.”
His goal this year is to end his nine-year major drought and finished tied second and first in his first two sets is an ideal start to the season.
“I's a great start to the season,” he said. “I started well last year with the win here. That was a little more in dramatic on the last green compared to that there.
“It's a great platform to build from. I know I'm playing good golf. There's still a couple of misses off the tee left.
“One got me on 18 last week. I missed a tee shot left on 13 today which sort of cost me a shot, and then one on 16, as well, which nearly cost me a shot and made a good par there.
“A couple little things still to work on but these weeks are great. You learn a ton from them, and obviously great to get the competition and come out on top as well.”
Tom McKibbin tied for 14th on six-under after a closing 70.
