Nicolai Hojgaard finishes two forward of Ryder Cup team-mates Tommy Fleetwood and Viktor Hovland and in a single day chief Matt Wallace; Jon Rahm shares fifth place as Race to Dubai champion Rory McIlroy ends week in tied-Twenty second
By Ali Stafford
Final Up to date: 19/11/23 12:48pm
Nicolai Hojgaard claimed a two-shot victory in Dubai
Nicolai Hojgaard produced a sensational back-nine birdie run to carry off Ryder Cup team-mates Tommy Fleetwood and Viktor Hovland and declare a dramatic victory on the season-ending DP World Tour Championship.
Hojgaard overturned a three-stroke deficit throughout an exhilarating ultimate spherical at Jumeirah Golf Estates, the place he fired 5 consecutive birdies from the thirteenth to card an eight-under 64 and set the clubhouse goal at 21 below.
The birdie burst pulled the 22-year-old forward of Hovland, Fleetwood and in a single day chief Matt Wallace, who all required a final-hole eagle to match the Dane’s whole and pressure a play-off.
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Tommy Fleetwood climbed into the early lead after a shocking birdie-eagle begin to his ultimate spherical
Hovland might solely scramble a closing par after discovering the hazard together with his strategy into the par-five final and Wallace discovered water off the tee, with Hojgaard’s third DP World Tour victory confirmed when Fleetwood was unable to gap his third shot from the golf green.
The chasing trio all carded closing pars to finish the week in tied-second on 19 below, with defending champion Jon Rahm sharing fifth after a final-round 66 and Race to Dubai winner Rory McIlroy signing off his season in tied-Twenty second after a two-under 70.
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Rory McIlroy produced a shocking 70-foot birdie throughout his ultimate spherical in Dubai
How Hojgaard prevailed in epic finale
Fleetwood began the day one adrift however instantly jumped two clear when he adopted an eight-foot birdie on the first by pouring in from 40 ft to eagle the par-five subsequent, as Hovland cancelled out a birdie on the second with a bogey on the subsequent to fall three behind.
The Englishman didn’t rise up and down from the sand to save lots of par on the fourth, permitting Hojgaard – the midway chief – to get inside one when he additionally picked up a shot on the second and fired back-to-back positive aspects from the fifth.
Wallace ended a run of pars with a 40-foot birdie on the sixth to drag degree with Fleetwood however bogeyed the following after a wayward drive resulted in a penalty drop, whereas Hovland rolled in from 15 ft on the fifth and posted successive birdies from the seventh to edge into the solo lead on 18 below.
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Matt Wallace made an enormous birdie on the sixth gap to quickly transfer right into a share of the lead
Hovland misplaced his outright benefit with a bogey on the ninth, with Hojgaard quickly restoring a three-way tie after he adopted a front-nine 33 with a birdie to begin his again 9, then Fleetwood made a close-range birdie on the tenth to reclaim prime spot.
Fleetwood left himself an identical birdie on the eleventh to double his benefit, however Hojgaard charged again into rivalry when he cancelled out a dropped shot on the twelfth by changing from eight ft on the thirteenth and two-putting from 35 ft so as to add one other birdie on the par-five subsequent.
Tommy Fleetwood carded a four-under 68 on the ultimate day
Rahm bolstered his hopes of a historic fourth DP World Tour Championship win when he made three birdies in a four-hole stretch from the seventh and registered three in a row from the thirteenth, taking him to inside two strokes, as Hovland added to his birdie tally on the 14th to get inside one.
Hojgaard continued his birdie streak over the following two holes and added one other from 4 ft on the par-three seventeenth, his fifth in a row, to revive his one-shot lead after Fleetwood had briefly levelled by slotting in from 15 ft on the fifteenth.
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Joost Luiten misplaced his driver up a tree after which misplaced two extra golf equipment making an attempt to retrieve it through the ultimate day
Hovland saved his hopes alive with birdies on the 14th and sixteenth as Wallace additionally impressed late on with three birdies in a four-hole stretch, together with from 30 ft on the par-three seventeenth as Fleetwood three-putted for bogey.
Hojgaard gave hope to the sector with a close-range birdie miss on the final, leaving the chasing trio requiring a final-hole eagle to pressure a play-off, however all three might solely end with a par as they completed two again.
Rahm shared fifth spot on 17 below alongside Mathieu Pavon – who birdied his final 4 holes – and Thriston Lawrence, who claimed a three-birdie end, with Victor Perez an additional stroke again in eighth after 5 birdies in his final eight holes.
Hojgaard happy with ‘unbelievable win’
Hojgaard’s victory is his first on the DP World Tour since February 2022 and is ready to maneuver him contained in the world’s prime 50, whereas additionally seeing him finish the marketing campaign second within the season-long Race to Dubai standings.
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Nicolai Hojgaard was visibly emotional after a final-round 64 noticed him declare the DP World Tour Championship
“It’s the sweetest one and so much hard work has been put in the last couple of years – and this year has been a really good year,” Hojgaard stated. “I felt like the only thing that was missing was a win and to get it this week in this field is unbelievable. I can’t believe it’s just happened.
“Having that putt on 18 to shut it out and it slips by, I felt prefer it was fairly a tricky second for me really. I used to be like, ‘Did it simply slip away? Do we now have to go in a play-off?’ However we regrouped and took it a bit simple. This feels superb.
“I have to say this is probably the best golf I’ve played in a tournament because this is the strongest field in my three wins. I’m definitely going to enjoy this.”
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Rory McIlroy believes he nonetheless has lots extra to supply and targets extra profession Race to Dubai titles to catch these set by the likes of Seve Ballesteros and Colin Montgomerie
What’s subsequent?
There’s lower than 96 hours between the 2023 Race to Dubai season ending and the 2024 marketing campaign beginning, with co-sanctioned occasions in each Australia and South Africa dwell on Sky Sports activities.
The Fortinet Australian PGA Championship is dwell on Thursday from 1.30am on Sky Sports activities Golf, with the Joburg Open then on from 10am. Stream the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, LPGA Tour and more with NOW.
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