5 days Ago By Andrew Ryan
RORY McILROY posed for a precious family photo with his wife Erica and daughter Poppy following his DP World Tour Championship win. The Holywood shotshot is €3 million richer after winning the the final tournament of the tour's 2024 campaign on the Earth Course. His victory sealed the season-long Race to Dubai title as he only needed a top 11 finish to top the order of merit.
The 35-year-old celebrated the win with wife Erica and daughter Poppy, the latter stealing the show in a lovely family pic. Sunday's win brings the curtain down on what has been an extraordinarily incident-packed 2024 for McIlroy. Off the course, the Irishman filed for divorce in Florida court back in May before announcing it had been voluntarily dismissed a month later .
On the course, meanwhile, it has been a year of ups-and-downs for the four-time Major winner. He went into the DP World Tour Championship in good form, shooting a final-round 64 to finish in a tie for third at last weekend’s Abu Dhabi Championship. He had won three tournaments this year, but is ten years without a Major after after collapsing in the final few holes at June’s US Open , where he lost by one shot to Bryson DeChambeau .
Victory at the weekend saw him clinch his sixth Race to Dubai title, following previous wins 2012, 2014, 2015, 2022, and 2023. It brought him level with Spain’s Seve Ballesteros and move two shy of Scottish record-holder Colin Montgomerie . Speaking to Sky Sports , McIlroy was clearly moved to be mentioned alongside his hero Ballesteros.
"It's really cool," he began. "I think everyone knows what Seve means to European Golf . To Ryder Cup players.
"(In the) European Ryder Cup locker room all we have are quotes of Seve. We had a changing room with Seve's shirt from '95, the last Ryder Cup he played." Fighting through tears, McIlroy added: "He means so much to European golf.
"And for me to be mentioned in the same breath, I'm very proud." McIlroy added: "It means a lot. I've been through a lot this year.
Professionally, personally, and it feels like the fitting end to 2024. "I've persevered this year a lot, had close calls, wasn't able to get it done, so to be able to get over the line today..
. "I got off to a great start and then didn't have my best round; saving par on 15 was huge, and then I had four great swings coming in. "Really pleased with the way I finished and thankfully I hung on on a tough day.
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