Matt Fitzpatrick is a three-time winner of the DP World Tour Championship after his narrow win over Rory McIlroy.
Fitzpatrick was full of praise for McIlroy after beating his Ryder Cup teammate in a playoff in Dubai to win the DP World Tour Championship.
He also won the DP World Tour season-ending event in 2016 and 2020, while McIlroy is also a three-time champion.
And despite losing to Fitzpatrick at Jumeirah Golf Estates, the five-time major winner did manage to get his hands on the Race to Dubai title once more.
McIlroy has now won the Race to Dubai title for the fourth successive season, and the seventh time overall.
Matt Fitzpatrick messages Rory McIlroy after winning DP World Tour Championship playoff
There were jubilant scenes from both players after their playoff, which was over after just one rerun of the 18th hole.
Now celebrating his success on social media, Fitzpatrick wrote on his Instagram: “This one’s always special DP World Tour Championship! Proud of the way I finished the year.
“Thank you to my wife, family, and team for your support always. And congratulations to Rory McIlroy always fun to compete with you mate!”
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The final Race to Dubai rankings top 10 after Matt Fitzpatrick beats Rory McIlroy
Fitzpatrick deserves every bit of his success, having produced a superb display throughout the week in Dubai.
He carded rounds of 69, 69, 66 and 66 for a total of 270, before securing a par on the par-five 18th at the start of his playoff with McIlroy.
But the Northern Irishman must also be commended for his efforts, although another Race to Dubai title was very much on the cards beforehand.
He finished T3 at last week’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, and entered the DP World Tour Championship with only Marco Penge and Tyrrell Hatton as the other players who could clinch the title.
| Rank | Player | Events played | Points |
| 1 | Rory McIlroy | 11 | 5,975.06 |
| 2 | Marco Penge | 26 | 4,008.04 |
| 3 | Matt Fitzpatrick | 11 | 3,841.05 |
| 4 | Tyrrell Hatton | 10 | 3,099.18 |
| 5 | Tommy Fleetwood | 11 | 2,936.72 |
| 6 | Robert MacIntyre | 11 | 2,904.39 |
| 7 | Laurie Canter | 22 | 2,899.75 |
| 8 | Kristoffer Reitan | 31 | 2,762.05 |
| 9 | Adrien Saddier | 26 | 2,643.13 |
| 10 | Alex Noren | 7 | 2,572.72 |
Penge finished second in the Race to Dubai rankings after a T22 finish at Jumeirah Golf Estates, while Hatton dropped one spot to fourth after finishing T14.
He fell slightly down the standings due to the efforts of Fitzpatrick, who rose 15 spots to third with his victory.
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