Nacho Elvira capitalized on Shane Lowry’s failure on the final hole and Rory McIlroy’s Sunday charge to claim a dramatic win at the DP World Tour’s Dubai Invitational.
Elvira took a two-stroke lead on the final day at Dubai Creek Resort and at one point extended the lead to three, but a stumble late in the front nine allowed the pack behind to tie the Spaniard.
McIlroy made five birdies in a row to come back from six behind to share the lead, while Lowry, Marcus Armitage and Daniel Hillier were also tied at the top of the leaderboard on an unusual Sunday.
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Highlights from Day 4 of the Dubai Invitational at Dubai Creek Resort, with Nacho Elvira’s thrilling win
Lowry emerged as the sole lead and held a one-place lead until he reached the water on the final hole, but a double bogey dropped him to 8 under, but Elvira birdied the penultimate hole and made par at the end for a one-stroke victory.
Elvira shot a 2-under 69 to finish the week at 10 under and win his third DP World Tour title, while Hillier finished second ahead of McIlroy, Lowry, David Puig and Julien Guerrier.
How Lowry missed out on the Dubai thriller movie
Lowry was the first along with Elvira to birdie three of the first four holes and make a three-putt bogey on the seventh, but the overnight leader birdied three of the first seven holes to move to 11 under.
McIlroy chipped in from the third green for a birdie, but bogeyed two of the next three holes, leaving him six behind, ending his hopes, but Elvira provided a lifeline when he finished the front nine with back-to-back bogeys.
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Rory McIlroy made a spectacular chip-in for an ‘unlikely’ birdie on No. 3 in the final round of the Dubai Invitational.
Elvira found the pond on the 10th and recovered to make an unlikely par, but the lead disappeared to McIlroy. McIlroy made five consecutive birdies from the ninth hole to move to the top of the leaderboard.
Hillier followed with an eagle on the 13th hole and a long-distance birdie on the 15th to improve his lead to 9 under par, while Lowry and Armitage took advantage of the par-5 13th to temporarily tie for the lead with five players including Elvira.
Nacho Elvira scores one-shot victory in Dubai
Lowry made a long-distance birdie on the 15th to move into the lead and threaten to win his first DP World Tour victory since the 2022 BMW PGA Championship. The Irishman still had the lead until he found a greenside bunker on the approach to the final hole and hit his next shot into the water.
A painful double bogey dropped Lowry to eight under, alongside McIlroy, who made the final bogey in the group ahead of him, and Elvira two-putted from the edge to earn the par he needed for his first win since May 2024.
Shane Lowry found water on the final hole and tied for third place.
Armitage double-bogeyed the final hole, dropping him to six under along with Thorbjorn Olesen and first-round leader Matt Wallace, while world No. 3 and 2024 champion Tommy Fleetwood finished tied for 25th.
Elvira and McIlroy stay positive and enjoy ‘dream’ victory
McIlroy said after finishing tied for third place. “I was trying to do the best I could with what I had. I didn’t get off to the best start. I wasn’t really focused on winning the tournament.”
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Rory McIlroy says there are plenty of positives to build on after calling it a ‘good week’ at the Dubai Invitational
“I was just trying to piece it together, make some good swings and hit a few more fairways, and for the most part I was able to do that. It would have been nice to hit the fairway at the end and give myself a chance for a birdie there. Overall, it was a good first week.”
“I felt like I learned a lot about my game. I wasn’t very sharp, but hopefully I’ll be a little sharper going into next week than I was going into this week.”
Elvira said after the win: “It (a win) means the world. If you had told me on Tuesday that we would win this tournament, I never would have believed you.”
“It’s a dream come true, especially having my family here. I always dreamed of my kids walking up to me with victory. I mean, whatever happens after this is nothing compared to this.”
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During the final round of the Dubai Invitational, Grant Forrest came close to making a hole-in-one on the par-3 eighth.
What’s next?
The DP World Tour will be in Dubai for the Hero Dubai Desert Classic at Emirates Golf Club. The event is the season opener for the Rolex Series, with Tyrrell Hatton returning as defending champion and McIlroy once again featuring.
Watch the featured group live on Sky Sports Golf from 4am on Thursday, ahead of the full live coverage from 7.30am. Get Sky Sports now and stream without a contract.
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