Tag: 2023 DP World Tour Championship

Nicolai Hojgaard wins DP World Tour Championship, Rory McIlroy claims Race to Dubai

McIlroy now owns five Race to Dubai titles.

For the fifth time in his career and second year in a row, Rory McIlroy claimed the DP World Tour’s season-long Race to Dubai title. However, he wasn’t victorious this week as that honor went to his Ryder Cup teammate, Nicolai Hojgaard.

Hojgaard, who finished second at last week’s Nedbank Golf Challenge in South Africa, closed with an 8-under 64 at Jumeirah Golf Estates’ Earth Course that included a stretch of five straight birdies on the back nine – Nos. 13-17 – to beat Tommy Fleetwood, Matt Wallace and Viktor Hovland by two shots. This was the 22-year-old’s third DP World Tour title and first Rolex Series win.

“It means a lot. It’s the sweetest one,” he said. “It’s so much hard work been put in the last couple years, and this year has been a really good year if I look back on it, I feel like the only thing I need, was missing, was a win, and to get it this week, this field, is unbelievable.

“I mean, I can’t believe it’s just happened.”

McIlroy, who tied for 22nd at 10 under, sounded satisfied after winning yet another season-long title.

“It’s great. I think it shows my consistency year-to-year. I think over the last ten years, I think I’ve won eight season-long titles between America and between here, so it just shows my level of consistency,” he said. “I said to Harry on the last green, there’s a few guys that are able to beat me sort of one week or the next week but I don’t think there’s a lot of people that can beat me throughout the entire season.”

Mattieu Pavon, Jon Rahm and Thirston Lawerence rounded out the top five at 17 under.

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Matt Wallace shoots 60 at DP World Tour Championship, birdies every hole on back nine

“I mean, 60 out here, that’s ridiculous.”

It was a special round for Matt Wallace on Saturday at the DP World Tour Championship.

The 32-year-old from England shot 12-under 60 in the third round at the DP World Tour Championship, moving into the lead by one shot with 18 holes to play at Jumeirah Golf Club in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Wallace, who has four DP World Tour wins in his career, leads Viktor Hovland, the 2023 FedEx Cup champion, and Tommy Fleetwood by one shot.

Wallace’s round was special, marked by nine straight birdies on the back nine to shoot 27 and card a 60, the lowest round on the DP World Tour this season.

2023 DP World Tour Championship
Matt Wallace of England walks to the 18th green during Day Three of the DP World Tour Championship on the Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates on November 18, 2023 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)

“What a day, an amazing day,” Wallace said. “Just tried my hardest to get myself back into the tournament. I’m really happy that I’ve been able to do that. Played great.

“Again at the end, I didn’t even think there was a 59. Honestly I think it helped me a little bit. I just played nicely coming down the stretch, just keep getting one more if I could and I managed to do that.”

Wallace’s eagle chip on the 18th hole came up just short of the hole, however, a closing birdie to cap the stellar back nine was a feather in the cap of the best round of Wallace’s life. With a win Sunday, he would win his first Rolex Series title, even though Rory McIlroy has captured the Race to Dubai, the DP World Tour’s season-long points race, for the fifth time.

Hovland and Fleetwood matched 66s on Saturday, continuing their trend from the first two days after matching 69s and 66s the first two days.

Even the FedEx Cup champion was impressed with Wallace’s day.

“That’s ridiculous,” Hovland said. “You know, it played easier today, not a lot of wind. Greens were soft. But the greens are very grainy. It’s hard to make putts. On some of the pin locations, like 17, for example, I don’t know, that’s a tough one to get close to. So there is a lot of good pins. And yeah, I mean, 60 out here, that’s ridiculous.”

Before teeing off, Rory McIlroy meets up with the most famous athlete in the world you’ve likely never heard of

Tendulkar is huge on social media, with more than 39 million followers on X and another 44 million on Instagram.

It’s been a stretch for sports crossovers.

Jon Rahm recently threw out the first pitch at the World Series. Four PGA Tour stars teed it up with four F1 drivers in Las Vegas in the first-ever live golf event on Netflix. Ahead of the PGA Tour’s RSM Classic this week, some of those wacky Savannah Bananas participated in the pro-am as well as the 11th annual RSM Wiffle Ball Classic with some of the golfer’s wives.

Prior to his first round at the DP World Tour Championship, Rory McIlroy chopped it up with the most famous athlete in the world you’ve maybe never heard of.

OK, perhaps that’s a stretch but most Americans don’t follow the sport of cricket so maybe they don’t recognize the name Sachin Tendulkar, even though he’s a true legend in his own right. Considered the most prolific batsmen in his sport, Tendulkar is huge on social media, with more than 39 million followers on X and another 44 million on Instagram.

McIlroy gave Tendulkar a signed DP World Tour flag and got a wicket and India shirt signed by Tendulkar in return. They also posed for some photos.

McIlroy has already clinched the DP World Tour’s Race to Dubai.

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Ryder Cupper Nicolai Hojgaard among leaders after first round of 2023 DP World Tour Championship

Catch up on the action here.

Rory McIlroy has already clinched the season-long Race to Dubai title, but there’s still hardware on the line this week at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.

European Ryder Cupper Nicolai Hojgaard is tied for the lead at 5 under alongside Julien Guerrier and Matthieu Pavon. Guerrier and Pavon were bogey free on Thursday, while Hojgaard was 1 over through six holes before closing his round with six birdies over the final 12 holes.

“I played really well today,” Hojgaard said. “Drove it well from hole No. 1 to 18, even though it was a little bit of a circus on 18, felt really solid. Got on a run. You know there’s a few chances out there, so it’s just about keep hitting good shots and stay present, and I feel I did a good job today.”

Jens Dantorp, Antoine Rozner and Adrian Meronk are tied for fourth at 4 under while a group including Tommy Fleetwood, Tom Kim, Viktor Hovland and Robert MacIntyre sit 3 under, T-7.

DP World Tour Championship: Leaderboard

McIlroy opened with a 1-under 71 that included an interesting fan interaction when his tee shot landed in a spectator’s lap.

World No. 3 Jon Rahm, who won this event last year, shot an even-par 72.

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Rory McIlroy playing TaylorMade Qi10 LS driver at DP World Tour Championship

Close-up images of Rory McIlroy’s TaylorMade Qi10 LS driver.

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As Golfweek reported on Monday, several new drivers were added to the USGA’s List of Conforming Driver Heads, including the yet-to-be-released TaylorMade Qi10 LS. While TaylorMade has not released any official information about the Qi10 LS, based on the USGA notes and images, we now see it has a sliding weight in the sole, a carbon fiber face and a sole geometry that is similar to the SIM, SIM 2, Stealth and Stealth 2 drivers.

On Tuesday, as Rory McIlroy was preparing for this week’s DP Tour World Championship in the United Arab Emirates, he said that while he wanted to win the tournament, it might serve as a great place to test the Qi10 LS in competition and that he was considering using it.

On Thursday, as he showed up on the first tee of the Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates, the Qi10 LS was under his familiar dog head cover. That gave on-site photographers a chance to take close-up photos of the driver and for us to try to get more details on it.

Here are some close-up looks of the TaylorMade Qi10 LS.