Rory McIlroy Wins DP World Tour Championship To Clinch Double Victory In Dubai

WELCOME TO THE BACK NINE

Hello and welcome to Golf Monthly's coverage of the DP World Tour Championship final round. Rory McIlroy stands on the edge of a brilliant double victory in Dubai, with this week's title and the season-long Race To Dubai both within reach.

While the Race To Dubai is all-but in the can already, the Northern Irishman is facing quite the fight to land a third DP World Tour Championship title. He has Rasmus Hojgaard breathing down his neck and holds a one-stroke lead as they both tee off on the 11th.

Away from the leaders, there is the small matter of the 10 PGA Tour cards still to decide, and a number of players remain in with a chance.

Thank you for joining me. Stay right here for all the key updates as they happen at Jumeirah Golf Estates' Earth Course.

MCILROY SO FAR

The four-time Major winner began the day with a bogey but responded in scintillating style by banging in four birdies in a row thereafter. However, from the sixth hole onwards, McIlroy has only managed pars - aside from another bogey at nine which has kept the chasers interested.

On 11, he has thumped a wedge in pretty close from 159 and has a chance to respond.

MISSED OPPORTUNITY

In relation to his approach shot, Hojgaard was blocked out by a tree and was only able to find the centre of the green. From there, the Dane gave it a great go but watched his ball trickle wide. He tidies up for par.

McIlroy has a chance from much closer, but he also can't find the hole and the gap remains one...

ROZNER FADING

The Frenchman was battling to win the DP World Tour Championship, but now he's simply fighting to retain his place among the top-10 European-based golfers set to earn a PGA Tour card.

Another bogey leaves him on -10, four strokes away from McIlroy. Adam Scott has also moved up to -10. But Rozner looks tense. It seems like the 18th can't come quickly enough for Rozner.

SIX HOLES TO PLAY

The top-two play a dangerous game off the tee, flirting with the left-side fairway bunker, but watch their respective drives bounce kindly back towards the fairway.

Hojgaard is wayward with his approach from the fairway while McIlroy just finds the front of the green from the first cut.

Neither land their birdie attempts from range, but both confidently slam in their par saves.

CONSECUTIVE BIRDIES FOR HATTON

Likely playing for Ryder Cup points and a little extra cash at this point, Hatton has overcome more dissatisfaction with his game today to post back-to-back birdies. He's on -10 and four back with five holes to play.

TROUBLE FOR MCILROY

The current leader wasn't happy with his tee shot on the par-3 13th, watching it fade into the right green-side rough. His chip came out so softly and short, too, and the par attempt dribbles painfully wide, as far as McIlroy is concerned. He's back to -13.

Rasmus Hojgaard cards a three, and now we're all tied at the top.

Elsewhere, Robert MacIntyre has joined the burgeoning group on 10-under thanks to a superb putt on the 16th.

CO-LEADERS LACKING RHYTHM?

The gap between the two leaders and the next best players is three strokes, but the way McIlroy and Hojgaard are playing - compared to the charge those behind are making - I really don't think this tournament is a foregone conclusion.

Hojgaard was forced to lay up after finding the deep rough off the tee on the par-5 14th, while McIlroy over-drew his second shot from 223 yards and now has an awkward chip in front of him. The effort from McIlroy is very good, though, leaving a makeable putt for birdie. McIlroy can't make it drop, and he remains at 13-under.

His playing partner gives his own birdie putt from almost 25 feet a real run at the hole, but it just lips out while travelling at pace. If that was anything close to dead weight, it was in.

LEADERS SHOW RECOVERY POWERS

McIlroy ripped his drive on the 377-yard par-4 into a bunker short and right of the green, but he left himself the hardest shot in golf - a long-range bunker shot. The resulting strike wasn't amazing, and he'll do well to get up and down from just off the green and some 40 feet away with an awkward shoulder in the way.

While many would have chipped from such a position, McIlroy did it his way and ultimately tidies up from three feet for par.

Meanwhile, Hojgaard is at the back of the green in two and looks odds on for a par as well. He has cosied up his birdie effort after a really well-judged long-range lag putt. That's a par from Rasmus.

CLASSY SCOTT ON THE CHARGE

Adam Scott is currently on -10 but has given himself an eagle chance on 18 after a stunning approach which would take him to -12. As I mentioned earlier, with the way the two leaders are playing - nervy, lacking a bit of rhythm - this one might not be over...

MCILROY MAKES A MOVE

McIlroy powers a 3-wood over the bunkers in the middle of the fairway and leaves himself 138 yards on the 486-yard par 4. The approach could well be tournament-defining.

He slides a wedge towards the flag and cries for it to go. His ball listens, and it stops at kick-in range. Extraordinary.

In an attempt to respond, Hojgaard plops his golf ball into the heart of the green. This is a big putt coming up for the Dane... and he doesn't make it. The par putt is safely rolled home, though.

Meanwhile, Adam Scott cannot make eagle despite a great try. The Australian ends on -11 and is currently in a tie for third alongside Shane Lowry.

RORY PUTTING THE HAMMER DOWN

200 yards into the par-3 17th, and McIlroy opts for a 6-iron. It's a great choice from he and caddie, Harry Diamond as the ball pitches some 20 feet away and leaves him a pretty good birdie chance.

In response, Hojgaard mutters a curse word after pulling his own 6-iron into short grass between bunkers. Luckily for the Dane, if there is any consolation, it didn't go in the huge lake even further left.

HOJGAARD HOUDINI

Facing a tight lie off the green and a gradually-increasing uphill gradient, Hojgaard opts to use his putter but only just makes it onto the putting surface. It seemed a strange choice, but just seconds later, all is forgotten as he rolls in a magical par save. How did he escape with a three there?!

McIlroy is unsuccessful with his birdie putt, and from a position where the tournament could have been put on ice, the leaders are going down 18 separated by only one stroke...

Hold on to your hats, everyone!

PERFECT DRIVE FROM MCILROY

Knowing he is within touching distance of a double victory, McIlroy absolutely slams a perfect drive onto the second portion of fairway (just to the right of the snaking hazard) which opens up the possibility of an eagle.

Hojgaard might have started experiencing some doubts now as his drive ends up right of the rough and in the tree bark, short of McIlroy's drive.

ROZNER WRAPS UP PGA TOUR CARD

We will cover this in greater detail later via our article highlighting all 10 DP World Tour players to earn a PGA Tour card, but - for now - Rozner has just squeezed in the back door and picked one up via a birdie on his 72nd hole.

It wasn't vintage from the Frenchman today, but he has done enough, so our congratulations to him.

OFF-TARGET APPROACHES

Hojgaard is disgusted with himself after pulling his second shot into the rough left of the green. Luckily, it just misses the stream.

McIlroy's effort wasn't much better, mind, as the Northern Irishman lacks the necessary draw and faces a pretty nasty downhill chip/putt from off the green to the right. This will be quick with a capital Q. Plus, there is a stream lurking in McIlroy's direct line of sight if he gets a little clumsy with it.

BIRDIE PUTTS FOR BOTH

McIlroy has some six feet left up the hill after dribbling his third shot down the hill. Hojgaard went for it with his eagle chip and has a much longer try remaining.

Basically, it comes down to this. Hojgaard has to make this for a playoff...

HOJGAARD MISSES

A great try from the Dane, but it was just off target. Now, over to McIlroy...

RORY MCILROY WINS DP WORLD TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP

McIlroy rolls his own birdie putt into the hole and he wins the DP World Tour Championship by two strokes! He is now a three-time winner of this event and a six-time Race To Dubai champion.

EMOTIONAL MCILROY SPEAKS

Anyone who thought McIlroy might not have been that bothered about winning the Race To Dubai, watch this...

THE MCILROYS CELEBRATING

McIlroy said it himself, it's been a tough year both on and off the golf course. A little moment like this likely means more than any Major championship ever could, so it must be incredibly special to enjoy after such a significant victory.

SIX RACE TO DUBAI TITLES

McIlroy is now level with Seve Ballesteros and only two behind Colin Montgomerie when it comes to European Tour Order of Merit titles. It seems like an inevitability the Northern Irishman will manage to surpass the Scottish icon one day, it's surely just a matter of when...