Rory McIlroy brings season of fluctuating fortunes to rest on a high ...

It’s not (always) about the money, it’s about chasing greatness. And Rory McIlroy – already at that level – further embellished a wonderful career in winning the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai to also claim a sixth career Harry Vardon Trophy for topping the season-long order of merit. And immediately he set his mind to adding to a fine golfing curriculum vitae next year, when he will play a reduced schedule for the sake of body and mind.

McIlroy’s financial haul saw him walk away with the €2,842,443 winner’s prize – after a final round 69 for a 15-under-par total of 273 at The Earth course, two strokes clear of runner-up Rasmus Hojgaard – and he also collected a further €1,884,310 ($2 million) from the bonus pool for winning the order of merit.

For sure, McIlroy – and his family, with wife Erica and daughter Poppy greenside for the win, a fourth of the season – aims, and deserves, to enjoy some celebratory days back in Ireland before returning home to Florida. “It’s been a long year, my 27th tournament, which is a lot to me. Looking forward to a little bit of downtime,” he said.

The manner of this latest victory provided validation for his swing changes, which are a work in progress, but also for his mental fortitude. Under pressure from Hojgaard down the stretch, McIlroy produced a magnificent approach shot to the 16th for a tap-in birdie – before he’d even repaired the pitch mark – to regain the lead and closed out with a birdie on the 18th to reign again in the desert.

But this was McIlroy’s own payback for the heartache and pain suffered during the season, most notably at the US Open at Pinehurst.

“I’ve been through a lot this year professionally, personally. It feels like the fitting end to 2024. You know, yeah, look, I’ve persevered this year a lot. Had close calls. Wasn’t able to get it done [at times]. So to be able to get over the line, really pleased with the way I finished and thankfully I hung on on a tough day and got it done,” he said.

McIlroy’s order of merit success moved him to second in the all-time list alongside Seve Ballesteros with six and just two shy of Colin Montgomerie’s record eight. A measure of McIlroy’s dominance of the DP World Tour was that his points total of 6,997 was almost 3,000 clear of second-placed Hojgaard.

At 35 years of age, McIlroy has time on his side on that front in his pursuit of Montgomerie’s eight. In terms of greatness, though, McIlroy is well ahead of the Scot with four career Majors.

In 2024, McIlroy, however, is headed into another season looking for a fifth Major and first since his US PGA title in 2014. Still looking to add to his greatness, with also his pursuit of Nick Faldo’s six career Majors on his mind as he seeks to be the undisputed greatest European golfer ever.

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