DUBAI: Tommy Fleetwood produced a stunning birdie-birdie finish to hold off the challenge of Rory McIlroy and Thriston Lawrence and win the Dubai Invitational.
The Englishman entered the final day at Dubai Creek Resort with a one-shot lead and with McIlroy his nearest challenger, a mouthwatering head-to-head was in store.
While those around him produced fireworks, Fleetwood was a picture of consistency, but he dropped out of the lead for the first time with a bogey on the 16th.
He was still one back on the 18th tee after he and McIlroy both birdied the penultimate hole but as the Northern Irishman found the water and made a bogey, Fleetwood holed from 16 feet for a 67, a 19 under total and a seventh DP World Tour title.
South African Lawrence finished alongside McIlroy at 18 under, two clear of England’s Jordan Smith and three ahead of 2018 Open Champion Francesco Molinari.
The victory is Fleetwood’s third in the United Arab Emirates after claiming two wins in Abu Dhabi and follows a second-place finish at the 2023 season-ending DP World Tour Championship.
“I’m very happy,” said Dubai resident Fleetwood. “It was amazing winning. Like almost everybody else in the world of golf, I don’t win anywhere near as much as I would like to but just that winning feeling is great.
“This is obviously where I live and have a lot of support. It’s great to kick off the year with a great result and push on from here.
“I feel like I’ve been saying for a long time that I’ve been doing a lot of really great things. I have amazing people that I’m working with, win, lose or draw today. Next week will be the same. We just crack on and we keep pushing forward and hopefully keep moving in the right direction.”
Sports stars enjoy final day action
The final round of the Dubai Invitational drew the attention of sports stars Aaron Ramsdale and Jorge Lorenzo, who were in attendance at Dubai Creek Resort to see Fleetwood lift the trophy.
Speaking ahead of the final round, Arsenal and England goalkeeper Ramsdale, said: “I’m very excited, I’ve been at a few tournaments like the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, but this is the first time I’ve been able to come on tournament days as I normally just get to watch the practice rounds or Pro-Am days. So really excited for today and obviously the last pairing of Tommy and Rory, you couldn’t pick two better people to be able to walk round and watch.”
Lorenzo, who won three MotoGP World Championships and two 250cc World Championships to make him one of the most successful Spanish motorcycle racers of all time, added: “It’s amazing to watch players like McIlroy and Fleetwood. I know from experience how difficult golf can be and the things they do are unbelievable. Every sport is difficult, and you need a lot of practice and discipline to become good, so when you see how good these guys are up close it’s really amazing.”
