Another year on the DP World Tour is about to go into the books, filled, as usual, with heroics and heartaches.
Which leads to this week’s finale, the DP World Tour Championship at the Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, where the 50 players who accumulated the most points will compete for the title.
There will also be a winner — either Rory McIlroy, who has a big advantage, or Thriston Lawrence — in the Race to Dubai that will award 10 golfers a total of $6 million.
Below are five events in the 2023-24 season that provided their share of suspense:
Jan. 11-14: Dubai Invitational
Down the stretch, it was McIlroy’s tournament to win or lose.
He lost.
Up by a stroke on the 72nd hole at the Dubai Creek Resort, McIlroy of Northern Ireland found the water with his tee shot, leading to a bogey. Taking advantage was Tommy Fleetwood of England, who knocked in a 16-foot birdie putt for the victory.
“I think I was very happy with the way I played today for the large majority of the round,” said Fleetwood, who prevailed by one over McIlroy and South Africa’s Lawrence.
McIlroy was also on target for much of the day. He recorded three straight birdies on the back nine, but three-putted from two feet on 14 and made the costly error on 18.
Jan. 18-21: Hero Dubai Desert Classic
A week later, McIlroy atoned for his loss to Fleetwood, capturing the event at the Emirates Golf Club for a record fourth time. He parred 18 to defeat Adrian Meronk by one.
“It was one of those days when there wasn’t a ton of fireworks just because the course was so difficult,” he told reporters.
McIlroy seemed poised for another successful season. Which it turned out to be, except for not winning a major championship. His last major came at the P.G.A. Championship in 2014.
“A couple of things to still work on,” he said, “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.”
June 20-23: KLM Open
In the end, it came down to a three-man playoff at the International in Amsterdam between Italy’s Guido Migliozzi, Sweden’s Marcus Kinhult and England’s Joe Dean.
Migliozzi’s performance on the 18th hole, a par 5, made the difference.
He birdied it in regulation and again on the first and second playoff holes, two-putting for his first tour triumph in almost two years.
Kinhult and Dean also birdied it in the first playoff hole, but could do no better than pars on the second.
“I never thought I was done,” said Migliozzi, who had trailed by two with four holes to go.
He said it was an incredible feeling. “It’s super, super nice to be here now.”
Sept. 19-22: BMW PGA Championship
While McIlroy again came up short — he found the water on the final hole of regulation and had to settle for a par — Billy Horschel of the United States shot four rounds in the 60s.
Horschel knocked in a 35-footer for an eagle on the second playoff hole at the Wentworth Club in England to defeat McIlroy, becoming the first American to win the event twice; his previous victory had come in 2021.
McIlroy barely missed his eagle attempt on the same hole.
“I hit some really good shots out there and made some really good putts,” Horschel said afterward. “That’s what you have to do when you’re not firing on all cylinders.”
Oct. 3-6: Alfred Dunhill Links Championship
Prevailing on the Old Course at St. Andrews in Scotland was England’s Tyrrell Hatton by a stroke over Belgium’s Nicolas Colsaerts.
Hatton was triumphant on the DP World Tour for the first time in three years, also becoming the first player to win the tournament three times. “It’s actually the first tournament I have won with my dad here,” Hatton said.
“It means a lot, and to do it at the home of golf is really special,’’ he added. “I’m trying not to cry, to be honest, I’m a bit lost for words.”
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