Rory McIlroy’s ultimate spherical alongside European Ryder Cup associate Tommy Fleetwood resulted in a extremely uncommon loss.
Getty Images/Alex Burstow
The Dubai Invitational was, if nothing else, uncommon for Rory McIlroy.
Just maybe not in the way in which he’d hoped.
On Sunday at Dubai Creek Resort, McIlroy delivered a first for his taking part in profession — three-putting from within three ft and dumping his 72nd gap tee shot within the water — en path to what he later termed as a “sloppy” loss to Ryder Cup teammate and shut pal Tommy Fleetwood.
The drama began for McIlroy on the 14th gap, a 190-yard par-3. Holding a one-stroke lead and taking part in within the ultimate pairing alongside Fleetwood, McIlroy flushed a sensible iron shot off the tee to within three ft, giving him a kick-in for birdie to increase his lead.
It was a quick putt, sure, but it surely wasn’t a routine one — a downhill turner that threatened to expire on him if he hit it agency. Still, as McIlroy himself would admit, he most likely ought to have made it. For his struggles over the previous couple of years, Rory has been rock-solid together with his putter within three ft, making 632 out of 634 putts from that distance, or 99.68 %, over the 2023 PGA Tour season.
He stared down the putt and hit it mistaken, by no means scaring the outlet because it dribbled out to 4 ft. As Fleetwood made a routine par to stay one-down, instantly McIlroy confronted a pressure-packed three-footer coming again up the hill to keep up his lead. He despatched that one skipping previous the outlet, too, lacking on the identical facet.
He tapped in for a bogey 4 — a three-putt rarity that introduced him again to even footing with Fleetwood. But there have been nonetheless 4 holes to play, and loads of time for McIlroy to make up the bottom – which he did on the fifteenth and seventeenth, rolling in a pair of clutch birdies to carry his lead again to at least one stroke heading to the 72nd tee field.
He reached the 18th, a dastardly par-4 with water on both facet of a slim fairway, and reached for his driver. The membership had been a weapon for him all week in Dubai, as per regular, rating him by no means worse than top-10 in driving distance and top-20 in driving accuracy in any of the three rounds previous Sunday. In the ultimate spherical, although, he’d hit simply 20 % of his fairways, a 50 % drop from Saturday. With the match on the road, he hit an unsightly snap-hook into the water, opening a door for Fleetwood to step by means of.
“I tried to hit a tee shot on the last; I probably wanted to hit a different shot because that was what was most comfortable,” McIlroy stated. “I tried to go with the shot that I feel like I should hit, and then I wanted to try to turn one over because it was the only way that I was going to be able to carry the bunker on the right, too. Just a bad swing at the end there.”
On the 18th, Tommy-lad made a birdie to shut out the match at 19 beneath, whereas McIlroy made bogey to fall to 18 beneath. In an prompt, Fleetwood had stolen the match.
“I think first week back out, I think you’re going to expect some of those sloppy mistakes,” McIlroy stated. “Unfortunately for me, those mistakes came at the wrong time today.”
With the victory, Fleetwood earned his first win in additional than a yr, ending a dry spell within the winner’s circle that culminated with among the greatest golf of Fleetwood’s skilled profession so far. The victory in Dubai was the tenth of Fleetwood’s taking part in profession, seven of which have come on the DP World Tour.
“Rory played amazing on the back nine. He played so aggressive. He made so many birdies. Especially after 16, starting on the 17th tee, it was frustrating to then all of a sudden be one behind when you’re led all day,” Fleetwood stated. “But happy with how I sort of trusted myself … Winning, it’s important. It’s a great feeling. Gives you confidence to know that you can do it the next time you’re in contention, as well.”
McIlroy, in the meantime, heads dwelling with a uncommon defeat. The excellent news? The unhealthy style received’t linger for too lengthy. Rory stays in Dubai for subsequent week’s match, the Dubai Desert Classic, the place he has received 3 times and returns because the defending champion.
