After finishing with an incredible one-shot victory, Rory McIlroy successfully defended his Hero Dubai Desert Classic title and earned a record fourth victory at the tournament.
Ten strokes off the lead at the midway point, McIlroy stormed back into contention at Emirates Golf Club with a third-round 63 that put him two shots behind Cameron Young before dominating the field in an outstanding final-round performance.
After mistakes by Adrian Meronk and Young, the world No. 2 took a share of the lead after the first four holes. McIlroy reached the turn ahead by three strokes thanks to back-to-back birdies at the eighth and sixth holes.
When Meronk made back-to-back birdies on the back nine, McIlroy's lead was reduced to one, but the four-time major champion still managed to fend off the pursuing group and win his first tournament of the year with a two-under 70.
McIlroy is delighted in Dubai.
At the par-four second, McIlroy hit a stunning tee shot, driving the green and two-putting for a birdie from 30 feet away. Meronk, meanwhile, closed the gap on Young by taking advantage of the par-five third.
Young missing the opportunity to increase his lead from inside four feet. McIlroy recovered from the sand to make it a three-way tie at the top for the time being.
McIlroy made an incredible rescue from the back of the seventh green to grab a one-shot lead. Meronk hit the water on his way to double-bogeying the seventh, and Young lost a ball on the same par three.
After an average approach to the par-four, McIlroy reacted with a huge breaking putt from 30 feet, and he added another birdie at the ninth to get to the turn in 33. However, he did not capitalise on the par-five tenth, which allowed Young to get back within two with a birdie.
After Young birdied his next two holes to put McIlroy four ahead for a short while, the Northern Irishman gave the field hope at the 13th when he smacked his tee ball into trees on route to a bogey-six.
McIlroy embarked on a run of two-putt pars to regain control of the tournament as Meronk answered with back-to-back birdies from the 13th to go within one. However, Meronk lost ground with a bogey at the 16th after driving into some deep rough.
Young's modest hopes were maintained when, at the 16th hole, he converted from 25 feet to tie Meronk for second place. However, he bogeyed the next hole, giving McIlroy a two-shot lead going into the final par-five.
With his second shot, McIlroy found the rough at the back left of the green and pitched well to ten feet. He then made the necessary two-putt to win his first game of 2024 and finish one stroke ahead of Meronk.
The DP World Tour Player of the Year, Meronk, finished second with a one-under 71, one stroke ahead of Young, who closed a final-round 74 with a birdie. Joaquin Niemann tied for fourth place with Aaron Cockerill and Pablo Larrazabal.
Haotong Li, Nicolai Hojgaard, Masahiro Kawamura, and Adam Scott completed the top 10, while Tommy Fleetwood, the man who defeated McIlroy in last week's Dubai Invitational, finished in a tie for fourteenth place.
McIlroy is having a "great start to the season."
McIlroy's victory comes after he finished second at the Dubai Invitational on Sunday. The current Race to Dubai champion is optimistic that he can continue to build on his strong start to 2024 in the upcoming months.
"It's a great start to the season," McIlroy said after his victory. "I started well last year here with the win but it was a little more dramatic on the last green compared to today.
"It's a great platform to build from. I know I'm playing good golf and there are still a couple of misses, off the tee left - one got me on 18 last week and I missed one today on the 13th and one on 16 as well which nearly cost me as well.
"A couple of little things to work on but these weeks are great and you learn a tonne from them. Then it's great to have the competition and come out on top as well."
Up Next:
The Ras al Khaimah Championship, where Daniel Gavins is the defending champion, takes place in the Middle East and is attended by the DP World Tour. On Thursday, live coverage on Sky Sports Golf will commence at 8 a.m.