And this was supposedly a down year for Rory McIlroy?
Well, when you measure yourself by major championships and come up empty we can understand how McIlroy might see 2015 as a missed opportunity, but by every other metric it’s been a splendid year for the Irishman.
Today’s victory at the extravangantly named DP World Tour Championship was McIlroy’s first since May but was his fourth of the season and came with a cheque for more than €1.2million.
The win also confirmed McIlroy as Europe’s number one for the third time, and victory in the season-long Race to Dubai is worth another €1.7million, taking the 26-year-old’s European Tour haul to €6.5million this season.
Additional earnings on the PGA Tour take McIlroy’s on course earnings for the calendar year to just short of €10million.
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) November 22, 2015
McIlroy was in sparkling form as he finished with a round of 66 to beat Andy Sullivan by a single shot, but he was made to work for victory as the Englishman put it up to the former world number one at Jumeirah.
Sullivan entered the final round leading by two strokes, and padded his lead to three thanks to four birdies in his opening six holes.
The pair were leagues ahead of the rest of the top-class field and McIlroy kept the pressure on, even after the 11th, when the Holywood man’s fine birdie was followed in by Sullivan’s three, but Rory was relentless, firing birdies on three of the next four holes to finally break Sullivan’s resolve.
Rory is tied for the lead after this putt on 12. Now five shots ahead of Willett in Race to Dubai battle https://t.co/kh7WYhHzQ8
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) November 22, 2015
There was one final piece of drama, though, as McIlroy, leading by two, dumped his iron at the par-3 17th into a lake. But he kept his nose in front by holing a superb 30-footer for bogey to slam the door shut on his rival.
Wow. Tip your cap @McIlroyRory! https://t.co/z35HrxDAxa
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) November 22, 2015
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