Rory McIlroy was on the wrong side of a nail-biting playoff at the DP World Tour Championship, where Matt Fitzpatrick emerged victorious.
McIlroy drew praise from Fitzpatrick despite losing their DP World Tour Championship playoff, which lasted just one hole at Jumeirah Golf Estates.
They ended their weeks on 18-under, with Fitzpatrick securing the title thanks to his par on the par-five 18th at the Earth Course.
He’s now a 10-time winner on the DP World Tour, while McIlroy claimed his seventh Race to Dubai title thanks to his strong finish to the season.
What Rory McIlroy said to Matt Fitzpatrick just before their DP World Tour Championship playoff
McIlroy commended Fitzpatrick right after losing their playoff, and shared further comment on his rival when collecting his Race to Dubai prize at Jumeirah.
He said in his speech: “Congratulations to Matt. I said to him before the playoff, hopefully this is just one hole. It went one hole in the wrong direction.
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“But yeah look, it’s been another amazing year, to win my seventh, to be part of the Ryder Cup team to win away, to win The Masters.
“I said earlier, I didn’t get this far in my dreams, so this is a dream come true, and hopefully Matt and I will see you on this green next year. Thank you.”
What has Rory McIlroy achieved in his ‘10/10’ season?
It has indeed been a dream season for McIlroy, who enjoyed superb success across the DP World Tour and the PGA Tour.
On the former, he has now clinched another Race to Dubai title, helped by an unforgettable win on home soil at the Irish Open.
And on the latter, he won on three occasions, including triumphs at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and The Players Championship.
There was, of course, a stunning victory at The Masters, helping McIlroy complete the career grand slam with wins at all four major championships.
And his remarkable year also involves an away Ryder Cup victory, with the Northern Irishman scoring 3.5 points for Team Europe against the USA.
It’s a year he won’t forget in a hurry, with McIlroy rating his season 10/10 even before claiming another Race to Dubai triumph.
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