Rory McIlroy equals record in Dubai win

rorymcilroy - Cropped

World No. 1 Rory McIlroy completed a dominant showing by winning the Dubai Desert Classic with a record-tying score of 22-under par.

The Northern Irishman led throughout the weekend at Emirates Golf Club following a superb 64 on Friday, and completed the job with a two-under round of 70 on Sunday that proved enough to hold off a late charge from Alex Noren.

McIlroy's winning score, which put him three ahead of Noren, equaled the lowest at the European Tour event with Thomas Bjorn and Stephen Gallacher having previously claimed victory with the score.

MORE: Djokovic wins Australian Open | Photos of the day | Embarrassing Super Bowl moments

The 25-year-old reached the turn at even par for his final round after a birdie at the third was negated by a dropped shot at the seventh, just one of two bogeys McIlroy carded all weekend.

McIlroy did not attack the pins with as much regularity as he did the previous three days, but a good recovery from a bunker led to a birdie at 10.

Another birdie at the par-5 13th followed after a missed eagle opportunity and McIlroy wrapped up a second victory at the tournament following his triumph in 2009.

McIlroy has seven successive top-two finishes on the European Tour, with this latest success his fourth win in that time.

Noren — who missed the majority of 2014 with tendinitis in both wrists — finished second after a surge up the leaderboard. Four birdies and a bogey saw him go out in 32 and he picked up  four strokes on the way home to sign for a 7-under-par 65.

Stephen Gallacher, the winner in Dubai for the past two years, was third after a closing 69.

Germany's Martin Kaymer shot the lowest round of the day with a splendid bogey-free 64, leaving him in a five-way tie for fourth.

Lee Westwood started the day second on the leaderboard, but a disappointing even-par 72 saw him finish ninth.

Author(s)