Fitzpatrick wins third DP World Tour Championship after playoff thriller with McIlroy

Matthew Fitzpatrick held his nerve in a tense finish at Jumeirah Golf Estates, outlasting Rory McIlroy in a playoff to win the 2025 DP World Tour Championship and join an elite group of three-time winners of the event.

Fitzpatrick, the champion in 2016 and 2020, closed with three birdies in his final five holes to post 18-under and set the clubhouse target. Moments later, McIlroy forced extra holes by draining a 16-foot eagle putt on the 18th, capping a rollercoaster finish that saw him oscillate between missed chances and brilliance.

In the playoff, Fitzpatrick found the left rough but recovered well, while McIlroy drove into the water and had to take a penalty drop. The Northern Irishman’s fourth shot failed to climb a ridge near the green, leaving him a long par attempt. Fitzpatrick, after a shaky wedge that spun back in regulation, clipped a superb pitch to inside two feet and tapped in for par — winning his first title since 2023.

McIlroy’s bid for a fourth DP World Tour Championship fell short, but he secured a seventh Race to Dubai title, moving within one of Colin Montgomerie’s all-time record of eight. “I’d love to be the winningest European in these season-long races,” McIlroy said. “Hopefully I can catch him.”

High drama across the closing stretch

Fitzpatrick looked in control late, but McIlroy kept swinging the momentum. After starting four-under through seven, he bogeyed 12 and 16, missed prime looks on 14 and 15, and lipped out on 17 — only to summon the eagle at 18 to keep his hopes alive. “I knew I needed something big,” he said. “That finish gave me a chance.”

Behind them, Tommy Fleetwood surged with five back-nine birdies but finished in a large group tied for third at 17-under alongside Ludvig Åberg (66), Laurie Canter (67) and Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen (68). Fleetwood capped one of the best stretches of his career with results of Win–2nd–T3 across his last three DP World Tour starts.

PGA TOUR cards secured

There were major implications beyond the trophy. Ten PGA TOUR cards were awarded to the top players not otherwise exempt, with Jordan Smith claiming the final spot after missing by one in 2024. Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen also clinched his card with a birdie on his final hole.

The 10 graduates:
Marco Penge, Laurie Canter, Kristoffer Reitan, Adrien Saddier, Alex Noren, John Parry, Haotong Li, Keita Nakajima, Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen, Jordan Smith.

Photo – DPWT