By Pearl Nazare; Reuters.
Rory McIlroy secured a record-equalling eighth Race to Dubai title on Sunday, matching Colin Montgomerie’s mark for the most Order of Merit victories in European Tour history before dedicating the achievement to his recovering father.
The 37-year-old Northern Irishman carded a bogey-free 67 to seal a fifth consecutive Race to Dubai crown, edging Spain’s Eugenio Chacarra in the season-long standings.
Englishman Tyrrell Hatton, meanwhile, cruised to a five-shot victory at the DP World Tour Championship.
The latest crown capped another fine year for McIlroy, who successfully defended his Masters title at Augusta National in April to secure a second green jacket and further cement his place among the game’s greats.
“I don’t really know what to say. Winning eight Order of Merits was never really in my list of goals when I was growing up,” McIlroy told Sky Sports.
“I remember Monty (Montgomerie) being a stalwart of the European Tour. Going to watch him at the World Match Play at Wentworth over the years, I remember playing with him for the first time at the London Club on the European Tour in 2008.
“To pull up alongside him and win eight of these things, it means the world to me.
“I’m a proud European. I’m a proud European player and I’m proud to be a part of the DP World Tour and I’m very proud of myself right now.”
The milestone carried added emotional significance for McIlroy, whose father has spent the past two months recovering from major surgery.
“He’s been in the hospital for the last two months. He underwent a huge operation at the end of September, and he’s recovering well, thankfully,” McIlroy said.
“But when I left to come here to the Middle East, I went up to Cleveland to see him before I went. He said to me: ‘Go win the Race to Dubai.'”