Rory McIlroy added to his golfing legend in claiming a record-equalling eighth DP World Tour order of merit title, emerging from a nervy final round of the season-ending Tour Championship in Dubai to leapfrog Spain’s Eugenio Chacarra into the number one spot.
As Tyrrell Hatton put on a masterclass to cruise to the tournament win, McIlroy’s feat – shooting a final round 67 for 10-under-par 278 for solo second – was sufficient to edge by Chacarra to join Colin Montgomerie as an eight-time winner of the Harry Vardon Trophy.
Incredibly, in a season of 42 tournaments on the DP World Tour, it all came down to the closing Par 5 18th hole on The Earth course, where McIlroy’s par led to a nervous wait for Chacarra, in the pairing behind, to play the hole where he needed an eagle to move alongside McIlroy.
But the Spainard also only managed a par, which meant McIlroy’s runner-up finish gave him another order of merit, his fifth in a row and eighth in all, to further embellish his honour-laden career.
