Rory McIlroy snagged his eighth season-long European tour title on Sunday, rocketing him level with Colin Montgomerie’s legendary record that stood for 21 years. Yeah, eight titles, putting him right up there with an icon, but if you think he’s settling, you’ve got another thing coming. The guy’s already talking about hitting “double digits.”
McIlroy Eyes History After Equalling Montgomerie’s Mark
After a thrilling battle for the Race to Dubai crown, all eyes were on McIlroy. He finished runner-up in the tournament itself, closing out with a bogey-free 67 to land at 10 under, but that was more than enough to claim his fifth successive Race to Dubai award. That fifth win puts him even with Montgomerie, who set his mark over two decades ago. When fans at the 18th green on the Earth Course in Dubai started shouting “double digits,” McIlroy just smiled, “Yeah, double digits. I’d love to surpass Monty next year and we’ll go from there.”
That kind of confidence, that kind of freedom to talk about smashing records, it is exactly what you get when a player has completed a career Grand Slam and stacked up successive Masters titles. McIlroy himself admitted, “Winning eight Order of Merits (Race to Dubai titles) was never in my list of goals growing up.” But after pulling up alongside a player he remembers from 2008, it clearly means the world to him, and he looks set on redefining Europe’s golfing greatness.
Hatton Dominates Tournament, McIlroy Edges Out Chacarra
While McIlroy was battling for the overall season title, Tyrrell Hatton was busy locking down the DP World Tour Championship itself. Hatton, fresh off Jon Rahm’s victory last week in Abu Dhabi, put on a clinic at the Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates, romping to a five-shot victory. He closed with a six-under-par 66 to finish at a commanding 15 under. Despite admitting to being “weirdly nervous” earlier in the week, Hatton appeared totally serene on Sunday, even asking an on-course reporter who was winning the overall title as he strolled to his ninth DP World Tour victory. He simply blocked out the scramble around him.
That scramble, of course, was the head-to-head, toe-to-toe slugfest between McIlroy and Spain’s Eugenio Chacarra for the Race to Dubai crown. This one went down to the final hole after a long, hard season. Chacarra, a gutsy Spaniard and a three-time winner this season in just his second year on the DP World Tour, came out swinging with four early birdies. He was desperate to join compatriots Rahm and Seve Ballesteros as a Spanish order of merit winner. But the pressure started to show, with three bogeys in four holes around the turn. The overall lead chopped and changed down an absorbing back nine, with barely a tenth of a point separating them at one juncture. But McIlroy’s late surge sealed the deal, edging out Chacarra and cementing his place in history.
So, what’s next? McIlroy made it clear. He’s not just happy matching Montgomerie’s eight titles. He wants to blow past that. Next year, it’s all about getting to nine, and then some. You can bet every golf fan is going to be watching to see if he can make good on that “double digits” dream.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by BBC Sport.
Leave a Reply