Matt Fitzpatrick wins Euro Tour Dubai finale; Stenson wins season-long Race
The European Tour season came to an end on Sunday in Dubai, with one of the circuit’s future stars taking home the trophy.
Matt Fitzpatrick picked up his third-career win and second of the season, taking the DP World Tour Championship on the Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai. He finished at 17-under 271, beating out fellow young-gun Englishman Tyrrell Hatton by a shot. Hatton, playing ahead of Fitzpatrick, drove in a hazard bisecting the par-5 18th hole, leading to a bogey. Fitzpatrick, needing a birdie to win, played the finisher with precision to make the winning 4 from 4 feet.
“It means the world. To win one of these Final Series events is really special, and this one in particular – obviously the last tournament of the year,” Fitzpatrick said. “For me to win on the final week of the year is special.”
This is the icing on the cake of a break-out year for the former U.S. Amateur winner, adding to his Nordea Masters title from June and earning a spot on his first European Ryder Cup team.
Charl Schwartzel finished alone in third at 14 under par, two back of Hatton.
Meanwhile, Henrik Stenson won his second Race to Dubai title by finishing tied for ninth place in the tournament. Going into the week, three other players — Masters champion Danny Willett, four-time winner Alex Noren and Rory McIlroy — could have passed Stenson for the points title and its $1.25 million first-place bonus. However, Stenson finished ahead or tied with all of his challengers, with McIlroy matching him in a tie for ninth place in a quest for a third-consecutive Race to Dubai title. Both McIlroy and Stenson shot 7-under 65 on Sunday to surge up the leaderboard with a 12-under total.
“I’m very pleased to get my name on this trophy once again,” said Stenson.
The accomplishment was an opportunity to reflect on his Open Championship win and a silver medal in the Olympic golf tournament.
“It’s been a great year, the best year of my career,” he said. “I’ve always thought it was going to be hard to top 2013, but I think I’ve done that this year. Maybe not to the level of golf over six months, but certainly with the highlights of winning The Open, the Olympics and managed to win the Race to Dubai again. So it’s been a great year and it feels lovely to finish in this way.”
Ryan Ballengee is a Yahoo Sports contributor. Find him on Facebook and Twitter.
