The best European golfer of the last decade and a half was once again the best European golfer in 2024. Rory McIlroy emerged from a three-way tie for the lead at the 2024 DP World Tour Championship to capture his fourth worldwide victory of the season and his sixth Race to Dubai crown. McIlroy's final-round 69 was enough to push his name to 15 under for the tournament, two strokes clear of Rasmus Højgaard.
"It means a lot. I've been through a lot this year professionally, personally," McIlroy said. "It feels like the fitting end to 2024. You know, yeah, look, I've persevered this year a lot. Had close calls. Wasn't able to get it done.
"So the to be able to get over the line, you know, I got off to a great start and didn't have my best in the middle of the round and Rasmus and I both struggled to get momentum. I thought saving par on 15 was huge. I made four great swings coming in -- the wedge on 16, the shot on 18 and two shots on the last. Really pleased with the way I finished, and thankfully I hung on on a tough day and got it done."
By claiming the Race to Dubai title, McIlroy pulls even with European legend Seve Ballesteros in terms of season-long crowns with six. He is also now just two behind the all-time record held by Collin Montgomerie, who once won seven straight from 1993-99. McIlroy's latest Race to Dubai marks his third in a row -- the second such streak in his career.
"It's really cool," McIlroy said. "I think everyone knows what Seve means to European golf and to Ryder Cup players. European Ryder Cup locker room, all we have are quotes of Seve. We had a changing room with Seve's shirt from '95, the last Ryder Cup he played (tearing up). He means so much to European golf, and for me to be mentioned in the same breath, I'm very proud."
After sharing the overnight lead, McIlroy fell two off the pace in the early stages of the final round as Antoine Rozner's opening birdie was met with an opening bogey from the blade of the Northern Irishman. The early body punch stunned McIlroy back into his groove as he quickly regained his footing and carded four straight birdies to gain the outright lead.
Despite a bogey before the turn, McIlroy maintained his edge heading into the final nine where Højgaard presented his biggest challenge. Drawing all square with the 35-year-old after McIlroy dropped a shot on the par-4 13th, the Dane appeared keen on following in the footsteps of his twin brother, Nicolai, who had won the tournament a year prior.
For the second straight day, however, Højgaard was unable to put a birdie on the scorecard on the inward half and left the door open for McIlroy, who ultimately marched right through. A dart into a the par-4 16th set up a tap-in birdie and gave McIlroy the advantage with two holes to play. When Højgaard's birdie bid from 20 feet on the par-5 18th missed, McIlroy knew both the DP World Tour Championship and Race to Dubai titles were his but tacked on one last par breaker for good measure.
Not all is lost for Højgaard. The 23-year-old finished second in the Race to Dubai and first among those not otherwise exempt on the PGA Tour. Securing his playing privileges stateside a year after Matthieu Pavon memorably knocked him onto the wrong side of the number with a flurry of late birdies, the talented right hander will join his brother on the PGA Tour in 2025. Thirston Lawrence, Paul Waring, Matteo Manassero and McIlroy's fellow countryman Tom McKibbin are among the others to do the same.
The day -- and year -- belonged to McIlroy, though. Amid a turbulent campaign, the four-time major champion added yet another line entry to his hall of fame worthy résumé. Now up to 41 worldwide wins as a professional, nine season-long crowns between the DP World Tour and PGA Tour and a run inside the top 20 of the Official World Golf Rankings dating back to the Great Recession, McIlroy took another step towards becoming not only the best European golfer of 2024 but of all time.