Rory McIlroy narrowly missed out on another DP World Tour victory at the Dubai Invitational this weekend.
McIlroy started the final round three shots behind 54-hole leader Nacho Elvira, and his deficit extended to six strokes after a disappointing front nine.
However, the Northern Irishman made five consecutive birdies between holes 9 and 13 to get back into contention.
Unfortunately, he could only manage four pars and a bogey in his final five holes at the Dubai Creek Resort, finishing two shots behind Elvira.
McIlroy can take positives from contending in his first event of the 2026 season, but he is determined to play even better going forward.
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Rory McIlroy knows what he must improve after the Dubai Invitational
McIlroy recognizes the issues with his golf game that prevented him from winning the Dubai Invitational this week.
While his short game was impressive, he did not find enough fairways with his driver and his distance control was also below average.
“I need to hit a few more fairways,” McIlroy said after the final round. “I don’t feel like I’m swinging the club that badly. It’s just maybe some strategy off the tee.
“I was hitting the driver a lot this week, more for practice than anything else. Next week at the Emirates, it is obviously important to get the ball in the fairway and give yourself chances from there.
“I think that was maybe a little bit of distance control, but I felt like I was figuring that out as the week went on. My short game and putting felt good, which is a really good sign.
“I just need to tidy up the ball-striking a little bit, and hopefully I’ll be right there next week.”
McIlroy was playing in his first tournament with a new set of golf clubs, so he can be excused for not having his A-game.
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Dame Laura Davies predicts Rory McIlroy to win the Dubai Desert Classic
Rory McIlroy will be hoping to build on his performance at the Dubai Invitational at the Dubai Desert Classic next week.
He has won the event at the Emirates Golf Club four times, including successive victories in 2023 and 2024.
Therefore, while the likes of Tyrrell Hatton, Tommy Fleetwood, and Viktor Hovland will make up an exciting field, McIlroy will still be the favorite.
Indeed, Dame Laura Davies has admitted that she will be “surprised” if the world number two does not claim his fifth Dubai Desert Classic title.
“I think that course is built for him,” Davies told Sky Sports. “He’s won there many times. If Rory doesn’t win, I’ll be very surprised.”
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