- The 24-year-old Open Champion wins the tournament by three shots and becomes the first American to win the Race to Dubai crown.
- England’s Matt Fitzpatrick and Sweden’s Alexander Bjork in tied-second while overnight leader Rory McIlroy finishes joint sixth.
- More than 65,000 people flocked to Jumeirah Golf Estates over the four days to watch the world’s best stars and enjoy a wide range of entertainment
Dubai, UAE, 21 November 2021:Collin Morikawa produced a bogey-free final round to win the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai by three shots on a day in which he also made history by becoming the first American to clinch the Race to Dubai crown.
In the European Tour’s season-ending Rolex Series event at Jumeirah Golf Estates, Morikawa, who started the day three-shots behind overnight leader Rory McIlroy, saved his best to the last, putting on a solid performance on the Earth Course.
The 24-year-old carded six birdies, five of them coming in the last seven en-route to shooting a six-under 66. He ended the tournament on 17-under par, ahead of runners-up Matt Fitzpatrick, who made a late charge with six-under for the day and Sweden’s Alexander Bjork.
McIlroy, who was bidding to win his third DP World Tour Championship title, saw his chances dented after a frustrating end with three bogeys in his last four holes. The Northern Irishman finished with a 74 and tied sixth with Ian Poulter and Dean Burmester.
By being crowned Europe’s Number One, Morikawa is also awarded a bonus of USD $1 million, alongside his DP World Tour Championship winnings.
Speaking after receiving the Harry Vardon Trophy and the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai trophy, Morikawa said: “It’s a special win. I told everyone that I wanted to win the Race to Dubai and the DP World Tour Championship. I had it in my control this week. If I had won, I would have sealed the deal and that is what I focused on really. I couldn’t get my head too focused on the Race to Dubai as I knew there were many scenarios that could have happened but I wanted to come out and win.
“I felt my game was in a really good spot over the past a month and a half since the Ryder Cup so overall it’s an amazing win and really special.”
Speaking on his key moments in the final round, Morikawa explained: “To be honest, I really don’t know. Starting off on six pars especially with some birdie holes wasn’t fun. I felt I was hitting some good shots and I wasn’t getting the breaks I needed or the putts weren’t dropping. I told myself when I looked at the leaderboard after nine that I’m still in this. I just needed one spark and after parring 10 and 11, I knew something had to change. On the 12th, I got a great break and that is when the momentum started.”
The victory by Morikawa concluded an exciting four days of action in a tournament that had a wide array of off-course entertainment and was attended by more than 65,000 spectators.
Next year’s DP World Tour Championship, Dubai at Jumeirah Golf Estates will take place between 17-20 November 2022, the season-ending event of the newly named, DP World Tour.
About the European Tour’s Race to Dubai
The Race to Dubai is the season-long competition to crown the European Tour’s Number One player. Celebrating the global connectivity of Dubai and the European Tour, the list of champions since 2009 reads like a Who’s Who of modern-era greats, including multiple titles for Rory McIlroy, Henrik Stenson and Lee Westwood. Other winners include Jon Rahm, Francesco Molinari, Tommy Fleetwood, Martin Kaymer, and Luke Donald. Formerly known as the Order of Merit, points are accumulated based on a tournament points system with the winner awarded the prestigious Race to Dubai trophy at the conclusion of the DP World Tour Championship.
About the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai
The highest ranked players on the European Tour’s Race to Dubai are invited to contest the final event of the season, the US$9million DP World Tour Championship, Dubai – a Rolex Series event. Staged at Jumeirah Golf Estates, the warm weather conditions are perfect for both players and spectators. The Greg Norman-designed Earth course has a reputation for delivering dramatic finales and providing a stage for the biggest stars to shine. Double winners Matt Fitzpatrick, Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm and Henrik Stenson head a list of champions since its 2009 launch also including Danny Willett and Lee Westwood.
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About the European Tour
The European Tour is ‘Driving Golf Further’ through our guiding principles of being innovative, inclusive and global.
Innovative: The European Tour is driving innovation in golf through the creation of award-winning content, pioneering tournament formats and the use of the latest technology and inventive fan engagement. We have recognised the need for golf to modernise for future fans and we are committed to engaging new audiences whilst respecting the tradition of our sport.
Inclusive: We are committed to include all who share a love for the game of golf. We are passionate about a closer collaboration with the women’s game, disability golf and promoting the health benefits of playing golf.
Global: Since the European Tour was formed in 1972, players from 36 different countries have won tournaments, while our live broadcast reaches more than 490 million homes in more than 150 countries every week, generating in excess of 2,200 global broadcast hours for each event. We also enjoy the support of many of the world’s leading business brands with Rolex, BMW, Callaway, DP World, Emirates, Workday and Zoom as Official Partners.
The European Tour also manages the developmental Challenge Tour and the Legends Tour (formerly known as the Staysure Tour) which is the men’s professional golf tour for members aged 50 and older.
The European Tour is also the Managing Partner of Ryder Cup Europe, the body which, alongside the PGA of America, administers golf’s greatest team contest, the Ryder Cup.
About the Rolex Series
The Rolex Series is the premium event category on the European Tour’s International Schedule, comprising four tournaments in 2021, staged in a variety of world-class golfing locations each with a minimum prize fund of US$8 million and 8,000 Race to Dubai points available.
Showcasing innovation, enriched media, content and broadcast coverage, and a superior event experience for the world’s top players, the list of champions includes some of golf’s most distinguished names.
The Rolex Series was launched in 2017, coinciding with the 20th anniversary of Rolex’s enduring partnership with the European Tour.
In 2021, the Rolex Series comprises; The Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship (January 21-24), the Abdn Scottish Open (July 8-11) the BMW PGA Championship (September 9-12) and the season-ending DP World Tour Championship, Dubai (November 18-21), where the leading golfer on the Race to Dubai Rankings in partnership Rolex will be crowned.