RORY McILROY survived a dramatic lapse in concentration to end his injury-hit season in style with victory in the DP World Tour Championship to claim a third Race to Dubai title in the last four years.
After starting the final round a shot behind England's Andy Sullivan, McIlroy carded eight birdies in the first 15 holes to surge into a two-shot lead with two holes to play, only to then find the water with a terrible tee shot on the 17th. However, the four-time Major winner holed from 30 feet to salvage a bogey and take a one-shot lead up the 18th, which proved just enough to secure his fourth win of the year after Sullivan's birdie attempt narrowly missed.
A closing 66 saw McIlroy finish 21 under par at Jumeirah Golf Estates, one shot ahead of Sullivan with South African Branden Grace a distant third on 15 under.
McIlroy missed three tournaments this summer, including the defence of his Open title at St Andrew's, due to an ankle injury suffered playing football with friends and needed a controversial exemption to compete in the European Tour's season finale despite not playing enough events. Nearest rival Danny Willett felt that gave McIlroy an unfair advantage, but was unable to dislodge the four-time Major winner from top spot in the money list, a position he held since finishing fourth in the Masters before winning the WGC-Cadillac Match Play three weeks later.
Willett had to settle for a six-way tie for fourth on 13 under, which included Italy's Francesco Molinari, who recorded a hole-in-one on the sixth in a final round of 68.
