On Friday afternoon, Rory McIlroy (-14) left for his hotel with a three under par score at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic and a massive ten-stroke lead over Cameron Young. At that moment, no one could imagine a victory for the Northern Irishman. Not even Rory himself.
Well, what the hell, maybe he did. Maybe he was the only one who visualised it. Because only an extraterrestrial, we think of Tiger Woods, could think of cutting that difference at an Emirates Golf Club that was pushing to the limit. Only someone from another planet can put a nine under par result on Saturday and a total of eleven under for the weekend (70 today) into a calculator. Yes, Rory McIlroy has won in Dubai. His fourth victory here (2009, 2015, 2023, 2024). Absolute record. He leaves behind the three victories of Ernie Els and puts Scottie Scheffler‘s Number One back in the spotlight. There’s a fight. A blessed fight.
McIlroy has invented a new way to win the Desert Classic today. Against the style. He did it by playing over par in the last nine of the final round and with a +1 score in the sum of the four par 5s and hole 17, a par 4 that can be reached in one. Since hole-by-hole of each card can be reviewed in this tournament, year 2001, no champion had played over par on the last day from 10 to 18, nor had they played over par the par 5s and hole 17. The closest to McIlroy was Sergio García in 2017, who signed 36 strokes in the last nine, one under par, and made par on the par 5s and 17.
To be able to do something like this you have to be very good, someone special, and take advantage of the first nine, undoubtedly, the part of the course where it is hardest to subtract. That’s where Rory has won the tournament, with a score of three under and, above all, two spectacular birdies on holes 8 and 9. Two bonuses. Two birdies where you are taking an average of three or four strokes from the rest of the players. Those two tough par 4s ended the tournament as the first and third most difficult. Another story. He is the only one who has made a two under par score there. Extraterrestrial.
But of course, it’s Rory, with all that Rory implies. With his Rorylandia always included. Just as there was certainty on Friday afternoon that he could no longer win the tournament, today after the 9 it seemed that there was no way he could lose the victory… And in the end it wasn’t that far off. The bogey on 13, after a very bad drive to the desert on the left, added quite a bit of excitement.
McIlroy’s two main rivals were Cameron Young (-12), whose performance over the weekend and especially this Sunday, was disappointing, and Adrian Meronk (-13). The American has once again shown that he is very good, but he finds it very hard to win. He had everything very well on track this week, but ended up derailing, very desperate with the speed and firmness of the Emirates greens. He will end up winning, but it is inevitable that the stigma will start to weigh.
Really, Meronk was the one who came closest to moving Rory’s chair. Huge display by the Polish golfer. He came back when he seemed lost with the double bogey on 7, ugly double bogey going into the water on the second shot, and the bogey on 9. But he always fights. He has a huge heart. He came back with three birdies on 10, 13 and 14 and fought with everything until he missed the drive on hole 16. How tough is this hole if you’re not on the fairway. Bogey and red carpet for Rory, who again had a two-stroke lead with 17 and 18 ahead.
With this victory and the second place in the Dubai Invitational last week, McIlroy will not yet catch Scheffler, but he has just put him back in the spotlight. The next time they face each other they will fight for the Number One in the world. Fantastic battle.
