Rory McIlroy wins record fourth Dubai Desert Classic after best weekend comeback

Rory McIlroy poses with his trophy after he won the Hero Dubai Desert Classic golf tournament.

Updated at 13.31

RORY MCILROY completed the best weekend comeback of his career to successfully defend his title and win a record fourth Dubai Desert Classic.

The Northern Irishman’s previous biggest recovery with two rounds to go was from five shots back at the 2015 BMW PGA Championship but having begun round three 10 adrift he closed out a one-stroke victory on one of his favourite courses at the Emirates Golf Club.

Saturday’s 63 had catapulted him into contention but there were far fewer fireworks in his final round and, while McIlroy escaped with some loose shots over his last few holes, rivals Cameron Young and Adrian Meronk were also guilty of scrappy play and were unable to exert any meaningful pressure.

“I didn’t really think about that (the comeback) during the course of the round,” McIlroy, who shot a one-under-par 71 to finish 14 under, told Sky Sports.

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“I thought the way the course was trending, two 67s would really have a chance and the 63 put me in a great position.

“I thought on Friday night 10 under for the weekend I’d have a really good chance and I shot 11 under and won by one.

“It was a really tricky day, it was hard to get it close and make a ton of birdies. The pivotal moment came on eight and nine when I made two threes.”

McIlroy, who now has a victory and a second place in his first two starts of the season, added: “It wasn’t one of those days where there was a ton of fireworks but I held on as best I could and thankfully no one at the top of the leaderboard made a run.

“I made that one blunder on 13 and made bogey but felt I steadied the ship well over the final few holes.”

Belfast native Tom McKibbin finished eight shots behind McIlroy, tied for 14th after registering a two under par in the final round. Padraig Harrington had previously missed the cut with a final score of eight over par.

Elsewhere, there was disappointment for Shane Lowry at the American Express in California as he missed the cut, finishing on 12 under par.

Nick Dunlap will take a three-shot lead into the final round as he chases the first win by an amateur on the PGA Tour for 33 years.

The University of Alabama student shot 10 birdies and an eagle in a third round 60 — equalling the lowest round by an amateur in a tour event — on the La Quinta course to follow his second round 61 as he moved into pole position on 27-under-par.

Phil Mickelson was the last amateur to win on the PGA Tour in 1991.

Overnight leader Sam Burns is three shots back after a 65 at the Stadium Course, one of three used for the tournament and the site of the final round, where Justin Thomas equalled the course record with a 61 to sit a further stroke back.

South Africa’s Christiaan Bezuidenhout is the only other player within six shots of the lead.

Playing as a sponsor’s invite, Dunlap is the first amateur to make the cut at the event and while he will not collect the 1.5 million dollars (€1.37 million) prize money, a win would secure his PGA Tour card for two years.