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Rory McIlroy Avenges Last Week's Runner-Up With Win in Dubai

The Ulsterman is off to a hot start in 2024 and plans to play more in the coming months leading up to the Masters.

Bob Harig

Rory McIlroy Avenges Last Week's Runner-Up With Win in Dubai
Rory McIlroy Avenges Last Week's Runner-Up With Win in Dubai /

Rory McIlroy is off to a hot start in 2024. Now the question is if he can maintain his momentum through the spring and capture the elusive prize that he’s been missing for 10 years.

A week after letting a victory slip away at the Dubai Invitational and finishing second, McIlroy overcame a two-shot deficit on Sunday to defend his Hero Dubai Desert Classic title, shooting a final-round 70 at Emirates Golf Club. It was his fourth victory at the tournament, the most of any player.

McIlroy has said he plans to play more this spring as a buildup to the Masters, the only major separating him from a career Grand Slam. His last of four major victories was in 2014 at the PGA Championship.

He trailed third-round leader Cameron Young by two and held a four-shot lead halfway through the round before Adrian Meronk made it interesting with two late birdies to close the gap to one.

The victory is McIlroy’s 17th on the DP World Tour to go with 24 on the PGA Tour. He was 10 shots back of Young through 36 holes before shooting a 63 on Saturday.

"It's a great start to the season," McIlroy said. “I started well last year with the win here. It's a great platform to build from. I know I'm playing good golf. There's still a couple of misses off the tee left. One got me on 18 last week. I missed a tee shot left on 13 today which sort of cost me a shot, and then one on 16, as well, which nearly cost me a shot and made a good par there.

"A couple little things still to work on but these weeks are great. You learn a ton from them, and obviously great to get the competition and come out on top as well."

McIlroy will return to the PGA Tour in two weeks at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, one of eight signature events on the PGA Tour. He skipped the first one two weeks ago at the Sentry in Hawaii. He is also expected to play the Genesis Invitational and the Arnold Palmer Invitational in the coming weeks.

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Bob Harig
BOB HARIG

Bob Harig is a senior writer covering golf for Sports Illustrated. He has more than 25 years experience on the beat, including 15 at ESPN. Harig is a regular guest on Sirius XM PGA Tour Radio and has written two books, "DRIVE: The Lasting Legacy of Tiger Woods" and "Tiger and Phil: Golf's Most Fascinating Rivalry." He graduated from Indiana University where he earned an Evans Scholarship, named in honor of the great amateur golfer Charles (Chick) Evans Jr. Harig, a former president of the Golf Writers Association of America, lives in Clearwater, Fla.