(Reuters) – Tommy Fleetwood emerged as the winner of the Dubai Invitational after a thrilling final round, edging out Rory McIlroy by one shot on Sunday. Fleetwood, representing England, finished with a total of 19-under-par after sinking a birdie on the final hole to secure a 67 in the last round. McIlroy and South Africa’s Thriston Lawrence finished one shot behind in a dramatic finale at the Dubai Creek Resort.
“It was great. I think I was very happy with the way I played today for the large majority of the round,” Fleetwood said following his victory.
McIlroy’s birdie on the 17th hole put him at 19-under-par overall, giving him the solo lead for the first time in the round. However, he hit the water on the final hole, and Fleetwood capitalized with a birdie to claim his seventh DP World Tour title.
“First week back out, I think you have to expect some of those sloppy mistakes. Unfortunately for me, some of those mistakes came at the wrong time,” McIlroy stated after the competition.
Fleetwood started the day with a one-shot advantage over the world number two and had to fend off tough competition from McIlroy and Lawrence, who posted a flawless seven-under-par 64.
McIlroy managed three consecutive birdies early on the back nine to draw level before encountering a second bogey of the day on the 14th hole.
However, Fleetwood’s lone bogey of the round at the 16th set the stage for an exciting finish, with the Englishman ending with two birdies.
“I didn’t hole some of the putts that I wanted to and it was great watching one of the world’s best players in golf in Rory, watching the way he attacked the back nine,” Fleetwood remarked.
“It was just up and down towards the end. Sloppy bogey on 16th. But birdie, birdie on 17 and 18.”
(Reporting by Trevor Stynes, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
