Rory McIlroy closed out a record fourth win in the Dubai Desert Classic to see off Adrian Meronk by one-shot.
Overnight leader Cameron Young , chasing his first PGA Tour or DP World Tour win, had a two-shot lead going into the final round but it quickly evaporated under pressure from McIlroy. The Ryder Cup hero took control of the race for the bumper payday at the Dubai Desert Classic with successive birdies at the eighth and ninth as Young struggled and Meronk chipped into the water.
World No.2 McIlroy, who came second last weekend in his first event of the season, said: "It is really cool and incredible to get my fourth win here at the Emirates. It is a great start to the season and a great platform to build from.
"It was a really tricky day. It was hard to get it close and make ton of birdies.The pivotal point was on eight and nine making two threes there. I made one blunder on 13 but then thought if I could make par on 14,15 and 16 I wasn't going to lose much ground. There wasn't a ton of fireworks because the course was so difficult and thankfully no-one at the top of the leaderboard made a big run."
Dubai Desert Classic Leaderboard
-14 McIlroy
-13 Meronk
-12 Young
Updates from...
Hello and welcome to Golf Monthly's coverage of the Dubai Desert Classic final round! It's set to be a thrilling final round at Dubai Creek GC with Rory McIlroy again in contention - but who will be lifting the trophy at the end of the day? Stay with us to find out...
LEADERS WARM UP ON THE RANGE
Cameron Young and Rory McIlroy are just going through their final preparations before teeing off in the last group shortly. McIlroy has momentum after finishing with an eagle yesterday and he will be looking for a fast start to put Young under pressure as the American searches for his first professional win on either the PGA Tour or DP World Tour.
Every shot of @McIlroyRory's eagle at the 18th! 🤩#DubaiDesertClassic | #RolexSeries pic.twitter.com/JzWRwYmimsJanuary 20, 2024
LIV'S JOAQUIN NIEMANN ON A MISSION
Joaquin Niemann plays on LIV but is the field this week and the Chilean is chasing a place in the Masters. He is 70th in the Official Golf World Rankings but a good finish today could help him into the top 50 to land a spot at Augusta. I'm sure everyone will wish him well........
RORY GOING FOR RECORD FOURTH DUBAI DESERT CLASSIC WIN
McIlroy, the world No.2 , has just teed off and found the sand at 330 yards off the first as he starts his Sunday battle. But we have just seen Niemann fire it in close from a similar position so McIlroy could still make birdie potentially like Haotong Li has just done to get to -10. Young, meanwhile, drew his ball into the rough on the left.
LEADERS BOTH GO THROUGH BACK OF FIRST
McIlroy and Young both faced a battle for par on the first as they went through the back of the green after they fired in from the bunker and sand respectively. But Young chipped up stone dead for a tap in par and McIlroy putted up to three feet to make four too.
Rory McIlroy and Cam Young get their final round under way 🚀#DubaiDesertClassic | #RolexSeries pic.twitter.com/fok7Fiv8ZqJanuary 21, 2024
LONG WAIT ON SECOND TEE FOR LEADERS BUT McILROY UNFAZED
Haotong Li got himself into huge trouble off the second tee with a wild hook and it had repercussions for the leaders who had to wait in the group behind on the tee while Li found his ball and took a drop. But the wait clearly didn't deter McIlroy who promptly drove it 355 yards on to the green with a phenomenal shot at the short par four to give him a chance to close the gap on Young who missed the green left. McIlroy missed his eagle putt but got a tap in birdie to halve Young's lead.
THAT drive 🤯 https://t.co/myxRH2znKW pic.twitter.com/pr3gfHHjwlJanuary 21, 2024
The pitch mark on the 2nd green from Rory's 355-yard drive! #DubaiDesertClassic | #RolexSeries pic.twitter.com/yLjDcLpvm8January 21, 2024
MERONK MAKES MOVE AS McILROY MISSES BIRDIE CHANCE
Adrian Meronk made a superb up and down from the sand at the par 5 third with a fantastic shot from the back of the bunker. That birdie got Meronk to -13 level with McIlroy but the Northern Irishman then put his second to the fringe at the par five while Young only made the green in regulation. McIlroy's awkward little chip came up short of the pin though with his third as he had to settle for a par like Young who missed a short birdie putt after his wedge in.
McILROY OVERSHOOTS PAR 3 FOURTH INTO THE SAND
McIlroy may have just made his first error at the par 3 fourth which is playing 181 yards downwind. He took an eight iron and hit it 191 yards to find sand behind the green. At least he wasn't alone though as playing partner Young, following his awful short missed putt on the third for a birdie, also failed to hold the green. But the pair then splashed out to three-four feet each in a bid to save par as McIlroy converted and Young missed.
McILROY'S THREE-WOOD AT PAR FOUR FIFTH PAYS OFF
Young and McIlroy took a different approach off the tee at the fifth with the duo, who are both level at -13, hitting driver and three-wood respectively. It left McIlroy further back but he put his six iron closer from 181 yards to 11 foot to tee up a potential birdie as Young left his second just short of the green in the fringe. McIlroy's deadweight birdie effort didn't drop though as the duo both had to settle for par.
McILROY IN DECENT FORM OFF THE TEE BUT YOUNG GETS BAD BREAK
McIlroy has already hit more fairways today than he did in round two as his latest fine drive enabled him to play it to about 10 feet from 144 yards while Young had a nightmare break as his ball nestled by a tree after hitting a tour statistician making notes in the right hand rough. The American then just had to hack out before finding a greenside bunker with his third. He eventually had to sign for a bogey five to slip to +2 on the day while McIlroy made par and he could soon be in the lead on his own with Meronk in trouble.
SEVENTH HOLE CAUSING CARNAGE AS MERONK CHIPS INTO WATER
Rory McIlroy is now in the lead on his own after Adrian Meronk chipped into the water on the par three seventh The hole is 184 yards with water at the front and already today with have seen Rasmus Hojgaard take a double bogey there and Meronk too. The Pole managed to record a 5 despite finding the fringe off the tee but his disastrous chip ran through the green into the drink. McIlroy managed to get up and down with a brilliant chip there though to make par while Young made a two-putt par to stay -1 and +2 respectively.
McILROY FINDS GREEN AT EIGHTH AFTER IMPRESSIVE DRIVE
McIlroy is now out in front on his own at -14 despite teeing off 10 shots behind the leader before the third round. McIlroy's 301-yard drive found the middle of the fairway at the 459-yard par four eighth and then hit the middle of the green too from 146 yards before holing a brilliant snaking putt across the green as Young could only make a regulation par.
.@McIlroyRory birdies the 8th to move two shots clear at the top!#DubaiDesertClassic | #RolexSeries pic.twitter.com/saOqHmMr48January 21, 2024
NOT THIS WEEKEND FOR TOMMY FLEETWOOD
Tommy Fleetwood dramatically beat his Ryder Cup team-mate and pal Rory McIlroy last Sunday at the Dubai Invitational when he birdied the last and McIlroy dropped a shot after driving into the water. But the Englishman, who started today -7, has gone backwards this time to stand +2 for 11 holes and he now won't be going back to back in his adopted homeland.
ANOTHER BIRDIE FOR McILROY AT NINTH
Impressive leader McIlroy has another birdie look at the ninth after finding the green in regulation. Young then managed to land his ball in a similar position too but slightly further away from the hole - thus giving his playing partner a crucial look at the line. Young drilled his past the hole after allowing too much break but McIlroy was able to curl his in from 16 feet for a stunning second successive birdie.
IMMACULATE -3 FRONT NINE FROM McILROY SEES HIM LEAD
McILROY SHOWS MATURE COURSE MANAGEMENT
While Young, 26, has been taking his driver at most holes with varying success, McIlroy has been plotting his way around the course using his three-wood at least twice so far. He found the fat part of the fairway on the 10th with a 291 yard drive using his three-wood before his second tailed off into the sand where he was joined by Young. McIlroy had to settle for a par 5 but Young made his first birdie of the day after an up and down from the sand.
McILROY FINDS GREEN AT PAR 3 11TH AS YOUNG MISSES IN BAD SPOT
McIlroy had another look at birdie at the par 3 11th where he found the centre of the green after Cameron Young missed the 156 yard putting surface by pulling his approach over the back left edge. McIlroy made his par but Young, who had just made his first birdie, was unable to get up and down to give McIlroy a three shot lead again with seven holes left.
McILROY CONTINUES TO PLOT HIMSELF AROUND EMIRATES COURSE
None of the chasing pack are making much of a move with both Young and Meronk over par today in round four. Therefore McIlroy, with a three-shot lead, just needs to keep grinding out pars. Sometimes his strategy has been criticised in the past, including most recently his driver off the 18th last weekend which brought the water into play, but today he seems assured, clam and is making some mature decisions as he focuses on fairways and the middle of greens in regulation which he has just done on the dogleg 12th to secure a par while Young dropped another shot as he continues to play poorly across the weekend.
McILROY BLAZES LEFT OFF 13TH TEE AT PAR FIVE
McIlroy has just made his first big error off the tee today with a wild drive left at the dog leg par 5 13th when he had a four shot lead. He has now played a provisional off the tee but fortunately found his first. He was able to hack out but his third came up short in the sand after he was forced to play from close to a tree. McIlroy eventually had to settle for a 6 with his first bogey in 38 holes after Young made par with a tame birdie putt which came up short.
MERONK STILL BATTLING AWAY AND HAS A CHANCE
Adrian Meronk must have thought he had blown his hopes when he chipped into the water at the par 3 7th from the fringe with his second en-route to a double bogey but huge credit to the Pole, who is wearing red on Sunday, for battling back with three birdies on the back nine to get to within a shot of leader Rory McIlroy.
Stunning @AdrianMeronk 🙌He taps in for birdie and McIlroy makes bogey. The Pole cuts the Northern Irishman's lead to one shot. #DubaiDesertClassic | #RolexSeries pic.twitter.com/ss5A31wb7DJanuary 21, 2024
McILROY SALVAGES GRITTY PAR ON THE 14TH
McIlroy appears to have steadied his round on the 14th after dropping his first shot on the 13th. His drive did not clear the corner as he took on another adventurous line. But McIlroy played a sensible second to the right side of the green and made a fine two putt for a par to keep a one-shot lead over Meronk.
LEADER McILROY FINDS GREEN AT PAR 3 15TH
McIlroy continues to put his wobble on the 13th behind him with an iron shot to the heart of the 200-yard par 3 15th. The Northern Irishman is recovering his composure now after being forced to hit a provisional on the 13th where he dropped a shot.
MORE DRAMA AT THE PAR FOUR 16TH
Meronk, who trailed McIlroy by one, only made the green in three at the 16th and dropped a shot to fall two behind. While the leader , teeing off behind him, pulled his drive left into the native area but found the green with his second and made par.
McILROY AND YOUNG BOTH DRIVE TO BY GREEN ON 17TH
This tournament is right at boiling point at the Emirates Golf Club where the 17th looks pivotal. McIlroy, who is two shots ahead of Cameron Young and Adrian Meronk, drove to by the green at the short 330-yard hole. An up and down from the rough would put him in a very strong position to close out a record fourth title but he rammed his chip past the hole into the rough. He had to settle for a par while Young failed to even reach the green with two chips which will surely end his hopes after recording a bogey.
McILROY HAS TOURNAMENT IN HIS HANDS AFTER FINDING 18TH FAIRWAY
Meronk is in the clubhouse on -13 after a birdie up the last when an eagle would have given him a share of the lead. McIlroy behind him is in the middle of the fairway off the tee at the par 5 18th, which is 564-yards long over water. A par will win it for McIlroy.
McILROY AN ENTERTAINER TO THE END AS WINS IN STYLE
Needing a par to win the tournament up the par 5 last , McIlroy continued to thrill by taking on the shot to the green in two and going over water. He hit his iron 224 yards into the green side rough to the left from where he chipped up to 10 feet to give himself two putts for the title. His par left him -14 for a one-shot win over Meronk after an impressive -2 final round.
Rory McIlroy wins the Hero Dubai Desert Classic for a fourth time 🏆#DubaiDesertClassic | #RolexSeries pic.twitter.com/2Lvg4aMjB3January 21, 2024
