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Despite his many successes in professional golf, Rory McIlroy has the reputation that Sundays are fateful for him. Whether this statement accurately describes his career or not, the truth is that the fourth round of the 2024 Dubai Invitational is yet another example in favor of those who think so.
Rory McIlroy lost the 2024 Dubai Invitational, one stroke behind Tommy Fleetwood. The Northern Irishman had several opportunities to achieve a better result, but his putter denied him.
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It is fair to say that Rory McIlroy's defeat began during the third round. On Saturday, Tommy Fleetwood snatched the tournament lead from McIlroy by scoring a commanding -8.
They began the fourth and decisive round of the Dubai Invitational separated by just one stroke (15 under vs. 14 under). On the front nine, the difference remained, as both made two birdies, but Rory McIlroy bogeyed the 6th.
Starting the back nine, it seemed that McIlroy could definitely end the title aspirations of Tommy Fleetwood. The Northern Irishman made par on the 10th and then birdied three holes in a row. By the 13th hole, McIlroy had tied the match, as the Englishman had birdied the 10th.
Unexpected conclusion to the Dubai Invitational for Rory McIlroy
The 14th seemed to be the fourth consecutive birdie for Rory McIlroy, as he found the green with his drive and left the ball just two feet from the hole. However, the unthinkable happened.
McIlroy missed not one, but two putts of two and four feet, respectively, to make a bogey. It was the beginning of the end for his dreams of victory, at least for his season-opening start.
It cannot be said that the Northern Irishman went down without a fight, he even seemed to manage to recover. McIlroy tied the match again when he birdied the 15th, and even went up on the 16th due to Fleetwood's bogey. There were only two holes left and the tension was evident at the Dubai Creek Resort.
Fleetwood recovered and birdied the 17th and 18th, with a 31-foot putt included on the first. With his birdie on the 17th, McIlroy went to the final hole with a chance of birdie to win and par to force a playoff.
However, it became clear that even a four-time Major champion could be caught up in the pressure. McIlroy sent his drive right into the pond placed to the left of the fairway, and although he managed to reach the green in regulation, again the putter did not respond.
The Northern Irishman missed a 1-foot, 6-inch putt for par and was unable to force a playoff, opening the door to Tommy Fleetwood's seventh DP World Tour victory (first one since 2022).
