Rory McIlroy says he is honoured to be "mentioned in the same breath" as Seve Ballesteros, after matching the Spaniard's haul of six Race to Dubai titles.

McIlroy secured the title for the third year running following his victory at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai on Sunday.

The four-time major winner finished two shots clear of Denmark's Rasmus Hojgaard to seal his third triumph in the event.

"Everyone knows what Seve means to European golf and Ryder Cup players," an emotional McIlroy told Sky Sports.

"The European Ryder Cup locker room, all we have are quotes from Seve. We had a changing room with Seve's shirt from [1995], the last Ryder Cup he played.

"He means so much to European golf and for me to be mentioned in the same breath, I'm very proud."

"I've been through a lot this year, professionally, personally, and it feels like the fitting end to 2024," added McIlroy, who narrowly lost out on the US Open title to Bryson DeChambeau.

"I've persevered this year a lot, had close calls, wasn't able to get it done. I'm really pleased with the way I finished and, thankfully, I hung on after a tough day and got the job done."

Rory McIlroy secured his sixth Race to Dubai title with victory at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.

McIlroy finished at 15 under par and two shots clear of Rasmus Hojgaard, who he partnered during the final round, to seal glory at Jumeirah Golf Estates.

The four-time major winner claimed his record-equalling third triumph in this event, matching Jon Rahm.

It is also his third successive Race to Dubai victory - and sixth overall to move level with Seve Ballesteros. 

McIlroy was tied for the lead heading into the final day, and a run of four successive birdies gave him a three-shot advantage early on.

However, he hit bogeys on the ninth and 13th holes, allowing Hojgaard to draw level heading into the final four.

Nevertheless, McIlroy dug deep with a brilliant approach leading to a birdie on the 16th, which put him back in front. 

And while Hojgaard could only par the final hole after narrowly missing a birdie putt, the Northern Irishman held his nerve with another birdie to seal his seventh tournament win in Dubai.

Rory McIlroy fancies his chances of ending 2024 on a high after taking a share of the lead at the DP World Tour Championship with one round remaining.

McIlroy shot a four-under 68 through his third round at Jumeirah Golf Estates to sit level with Antoine Rozner and Rasmus Hojgaard at 12-under for the week.

The Northern Irishman has endured a mixed year, memorably missing two close-range putts to miss out on his first major crown in a decade at June's US Open.

However, he could yet end it on a high as he is almost certain to claim the Race to Dubai title and is firmly in contention for a third triumph at the DP World Tour's season finale.

"As I said at the start of the week, my goal tomorrow is to be on that 18th green with two trophies instead of one," he told Sky Sports at the conclusion of his third round.

"I was with one of the Hojgaard brothers on the 18th last year and hopefully I'm not with the other one tomorrow!

"If I was to do it tomorrow, I'd walk away from this year with four worldwide wins, which is still pretty good. 

"I'm excited about tomorrow. It's an opportunity to end the year on a really good note. I'm going to go out there and try to get it done."

Meanwhile, having carded six birdies in a seven-hole stretch to move into contention, Hojgaard is looking for more of the same on Sunday.

"I obviously hit it very close on the front nine, which was a massive confidence boost," the Dane told Sky Sports. 

"I was just trying to ride the wave, see how many birdies I could make and then obviously it got a little bit more quiet on the back nine.

"I will approach tomorrow like I did today, try not to worry too much about what's ahead of me, try and play one hole at a time and get the best score possible."

Rory McIlroy will take a share of the lead into the final round of the season-ending DP World Tour Championship, as he took a major step towards a Dubai double on Saturday.

McIlroy is already on the verge of securing his sixth Race to Dubai crown to match Seve Ballesteros' record, only requiring a top-11 finish even if closest rival Thriston Lawrence was to win the final event on the 2024 calendar.

He ended Saturday's penultimate round eight shots clear of Lawrence and tied for the lead with Antoine Rozner and Rasmus Hojgaard, having carded a four-under 68.

The Northern Irishman scored six birdies and two bogeys in his third round, while Hojgaard made six birdies in a seven-hole stretch to ultimately make up two shots on McIlroy.

Rozner, meanwhile, surrendered the solo lead with a three-under 69, though a final-hole eagle ensured he will start Sunday's decisive final round among the frontrunners.

Things could have been even better for McIlroy had he not missed a birdie putt on the par-five 18th hole, which would have seen him enter Sunday a shot clear of the pack.

Nevertheless, he remains among the favourites to seal a third DP World Tour Championship crown, having previously won the event in 2012 and 2015.

Sweden's Jesper Svensson and Chile's Joaquin Niemann are two shots back of the leaders at 10-under for the tournament, with England's Tyrrell Hatton another shot back in sixth.

Antoine Rozner has the halfway lead at the DP World Tour Championship, one shot ahead of Rory McIlroy, after an impressive second round.

The Frenchman took advantage of McIlroy's mid-round slip-up and carded a round-of-the-day 65 to hold a lead of nine under on Friday.

McIlroy had surged into what looked like a comfortable lead with four birdies in the first seven holes in Dubai but bogeyed two of the next three as the chasing pack caught up with him once more.

The Northern Irishman, who needs to place 11th or higher to secure the Race to Dubai title, sits joint-second with Tyrrell Hatton, who had also shared the lead after round one.

"I got off to a great start, four under through seven. I was feeling like I was in total control of what I was doing, and then I just started to miss a few fairways around the turn," McIlroy said.

"When you start missing fairways the way the course is set up this week, you're going to start to struggle.

"So I made two bogeys in the next three holes, I steadied the ship a little bit, but felt like I let a couple of chances slip by on 14 and 15, but played the last three holes well.

"It was nice to finish with a birdie and at least shoot something in the sixties."

Joaquin Niemann sits two strokes back in fourth, while Shane Lowry and Rasmus Hojgaard are in the group tied for sixth on six under.

Meanwhile, Thriston Lawrence, who is the only player capable of snatching the season-long title from McIlroy if he wins in Dubai, is nine adrift of the leader, and currently tied-34th after carding a second-round 71 thanks to a bogey on the final hole. 

Rory McIlroy made a dream start to the DP World Tour Championship, taking a share of the lead after the opening round in Dubai.

The Northern Irishman, a two-time winner at the event, holds a 1,758-point lead over Thriston Lawrence and needs to finish 11th or higher to guarantee top spot in the season-long standings for the third successive year.

He carded a five-under 67 in the first round, improving on his mixed results on the first nine to finish with six birdies and a lone bogey.

A brilliant long putt on the 17th topped off his impressive performance, giving him a share of the early advantage with Tyrrell Hatton, who held onto the lead by making par on the 18th.

Speaking to Sky Sports after his final round, McIlroy was asked if it bothered him that the media holds him to a higher standard during big events. 

"Depends what day it is!" he said. "I think overall I have to take it as a compliment.

"It's a testament to the body of work that I've put in over the course of my 17 or 18-year career that I am held to such a high standard. And I want to live up to those standards too. It's not just everyone else. I fully expect to turn up to tournaments and have a chance to win every time. I'm under no illusions that I'm not going to win every time.

"But with how many chances I've given myself, especially this year, it feels like I probably should've won a couple of more times. But saying that, if I go on and have another three good days here and end the year with a win, I'll look back on 2024 pretty fondly.

"I thought I did well [on Thursday]. The golf course is playing a little bit tougher than it has done in previous years with how thick the rough is. I made some nice pars around the middle of the round when a couple of holes could have got away from me, and then I finished well with the birdies on 14 and 17."

Last week's Abu Dhabi Championship winner, Paul Waring, sits one shot back in third, while Billy Horschel and Adam Scott are among those to card a three-under 69.

Meanwhile, Lawrence, the only player who could catch McIlroy in the Race to Dubai, struggled on Thursday and sits six back after he finished one over on 73. 

Rory McIlroy has confirmed he will play a reduced schedule of 22 or 23 events in 2025, acknowledging he must take care of his body after a challenging year.

McIlroy endured a series of agonising near misses in 2024, most notably when losing to Bryson DeChambeau at the U.S. Open in June, when he made three bogeys in his last four holes to relinquish the lead.

While the Northern Irishman has not won a major crown since 2014, he is closing in on a sixth Race to Dubai crown, holding a lead of 1,785 points over Thriston Lawrence ahead of this week's DP World Tour Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates.

As McIlroy prepares for his 18th season as a professional, he has revealed his intention to skip a series of events, mostly those staged in the United States. 

"If I can trim it down to 22 or 23, that will be good for me in the long run," McIlory said in an interview with BBC Sport.

"I have to remember I'm 35, I'm knocking on a little bit – I have the grey hairs to prove it.

"At 35, I've been on tour for 17 or 18 years, I'm not slowing down but I just have to take care of myself and my body a little bit more.

"I'm not going to miss these tournaments in the Middle East, I'm not going to miss Wentworth, the Irish Open or the Scottish Open.

"There were a few events I played in America this season that I don't typically play, and I think that's where I'm going to have to trim a little bit."

McIlroy has previously won the DP World Tour Championship on two occasions, beating Justin Rose by two strokes in 2012 and edging out Andy Sullivan in 2015.

Rory McIlroy said his heartbreaking loss to Bryson DeChambeau at the U.S. Open in June still "stings", after assessing his 2024 season.

McIlroy's campaign will come to an end in the Middle East this week, with the Northern Irishman closing in on a sixth Race to Dubai crown at the DP World Tour Championship.

He currently holds a lead of 1,785 points over Thriston Lawrence, and knows a top-11 finish on Sunday will guarantee him the season-long crown for the third year in a row. 

Should McIlroy emerge victorious, it will also be his sixth Race to Dubai title and match Seve Ballesteros' total, just two away from record eight-time winner Colin Montgomerie.

But when reflecting on 2024, he said that after making three bogeys in his last four holes to lose the US Open to DeChambeau, the battle scars still remain. 

"Incredibly consistent again. I've been really proud of that over the past few years," he said in Wednesday's pre-tournament press conference in Dubai.

"But then, at the same time, thinking about the ones that have got away.

"I should be sitting up here with a fifth major title and I'm not, so that stings and that's something that I've had to come to terms with. But at the same time, I've got plenty more opportunities in the future.

"But I really just tried to focus on the positives this year of consistently performing at the highest level. You know, still having three wins with an opportunity to get a fourth here this week, to win another Race to Dubai title.

"Did I achieve every goal I set myself this year? Probably not, but I still consider it a successful season."

McIlroy won once on the DP World Tour when he claimed the Dubai Desert Classic in January.

But he has also had four runner-up finishes, including the US Open, the Amgen Irish Open at Royal County Down and the BMW PGA.

Winning a sixth Harry Vardon Trophy and matching his father’s golfing hero, Ballesteros, still means a lot to him.

"I guess I am a little too young to remember a lot of Seve's career and things that he did. Seve is almost like, not a mythical character to me, but was just a little bit before my time," he said.

"But he was my dad's favourite player. The immense impact he had on European golf from a Ryder Cup and from what he did for the European Tour, he means a lot to the overall game of golf but specifically in this part of the world and on this tour.

"To draw level with him and to have a career that can somewhat stack up against his is very cool."

Thriston Lawrence said winning this week's DP World Tour Championship and overhauling Rory McIlroy to clinch the Race to Dubai title would "mean the world" to him. 

Lawrence is the only player who can prevent McIlroy from winning the Race to Dubai title – formerly the Order of Merit – and joining the late Seve Ballesteros on six and going only two behind Colin Montgomerie's record.

The South African, however, needs a victory at Jumeirah Golf Estates and then needs Northern Irishman McIlroy to finish tied for 11th or lower.

McIlroy finished third at the Abu Dhabi Championship last weekend, crucially finishing a shot ahead of Lawrence as Paul Waring claimed his second DP World Tour success, and his first title in six years.

Lawrence has had five runner-up finishes - including at The Open and the BMW PGA Championship - and five more top-10s during an impressive campaign.  

It leaves him currently 1,785 points behind McIlroy with 2,000 available to the winner in Dubai, and Lawrence is relishing the opportunity of competing against his "idol". 

"It's nice to have a chance," Lawrence said in his pre-tournament press conference. "It's going to take a lot, but just incredible to have an opportunity. I'm very grateful just to be inside the top 50 to be able to compete this week.

"It has been an unbelievable year. Rory [McIlroy] has been an idol for me since growing up as a youngster and being able to clinch it this week would be the cherry on the cake for myself.

"It would mean the world - being the best golfer on the European Tour over the year is an unbelievable achievement.

"Sitting here right now, I've achieved a lot of things that I've wanted to. But to get this trophy behind me would just be unbelievable."

Lawrence won twice on the DP World Tour in each of his first two seasons and has since moved inside the world's top 50 despite his only 2024 victory coming on the Sunshine Tour, with the 27-year-old proud of his progression as a golfer.

"The consistency has been the highlight," Lawrence added. "Finishing in the top 10 ten times this year proves that I'm growing as a golfer, and I'm getting more comfortable out here.

"Obviously, ranking-wise, it's the best season I've had in my life. I won twice in my rookie year, twice last year. This year, I won on the Sunshine Tour, which is nice.

"I always feel like with the strength of golfers in today's time, winning on any tour is quite an achievement.

"Not won on this tour yet, but there is still one event left, so maybe it's my time this week. Where I am now, it just feels comfortable.

"It feels like I can win every week. Just to see myself grow from two years ago is just unbelievable."

Nicolai Hojgaard produced a brilliant final round of 64 to claim his first Rolex Series title in the season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.

The 22-year-old Dane recorded nine birdies and a solitary bogey to finish two shots clear of Ryder Cup team-mates Viktor Hovland and Tommy Fleetwood, and overnight leader Matt Wallace.

Hojgaard’s chances suffered a major blow when he dropped a shot on the 12th to briefly fall three behind Fleetwood, but he responded superbly with a run of five straight birdies before surprisingly missing from inside four feet for another on the 18th.

That left Hojgaard on 21 under par, but none of his rivals were able to find an eagle on the last to force a play-off, Fleetwood having crucially three-putted the 17th.

“It means a lot, it’s the sweetest one,” Hojgaard told Sky Sports after claiming the third DP World Tour title of his career.

“So much hard work has been put in over the past couple years – it feels amazing, this is for family and everything they put in over the years. So much hard work going into this, for it to happen like this is unbelievable.

“We know there are a lot of birdies but we have to hit the shots and hole the putts, anything can happen we were just focused on the job today, to walk up 18 knowing there’s a good chance feels good.

“I played some really good golf. I have to say this is the best golf I’ve played in a tournament and the strongest field in my three wins. My game feels good, I felt good before going out and to finish it like this feels good.

“This is the sweetest way to finish the year, I can’t believe we finished on such a high note, I’m definitely going to enjoy this.”

Hojgaard’s joy was tempered by the news that his twin brother Rasmus had narrowly missed out on one of the 10 PGA Tour cards for 2024 on offer to the highest finishers in the Race to Dubai, who were not otherwise exempt.

Rasmus finished 11th on the list, less than 27 points behind Japan’s Ryo Hisatsune, who joined Adrian Meronk, Ryan Fox, Victor Perez, Thorbjorn Olesen, Alexander Bjork, Sami Valimaki, Robert MacIntyre, Matthieu Pavon and Jorge Campillo in earning playing privileges on the US circuit.

“I really wanted him to get that card. He was in a great position,” Nicolai said.

“It came down to a crazy scenario, I think, in the end. I feel sorry for Ras, but he’s going to bounce back. He always does. He’s one of the best golfers I know and he’s going to come back stronger afterwards.”

Defending champion Jon Rahm carded a closing 66 to finish in a tie for fifth on 17 under, with Race to Dubai winner Rory McIlroy another seven strokes back after a 70.

McIlroy had been assured of a fifth money list title before arriving in Dubai and now has his sights set on the six of Seve Ballesteros and Colin Montgomeier’s record tally of eight.

“It’s great,” McIlroy said. “I think over the last 10 years I’ve won eight season-long titles between America and here, so it just shows my level of consistency.

“It’s just about trying to be a little more clinical when I get to those weeks where I have chances to win. I’ve still got a little bit left in the tank. I think I’ve still got a good eight to 10 years left in me where I can play at the top, top level.

“I’d like to think that I’m going to challenge, at least try to get past Seve and then try to get past Monty as well. But it’s certainly a goal of minute for the rest of my career to do something like that. It would mean a lot to me.”

Sergio Garcia is the only one of 17 players sanctioned by the DP World Tour for joining LIV Golf not to have paid his fine, the tour has announced.

The 43-year-old was one of a clutch of players that includes Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter to have been hit with a fine over joining the breakaway Saudi-backed tour.

A statement said: “The DP World Tour today confirmed that 16 out of 17 players have paid their fines which were imposed for serious breaches of the Tour’s Conflicting Tournament Regulation last June.

“The players were each fined £100,000 – a sanction originally imposed in July 2022 and upheld last month by an independent panel appointed by Sport Resolutions.

“Sergio Garcia has not paid his £100,000 fine, nor has he given any indication that he intends to.

“We will therefore take appropriate action if he continues not to respect the Sport Resolutions panel’s decision.”

Garcia, along with Poulter and Westwood, on Wednesday announced his resignation from the World Tour.

Rory McIlroy said it is a shame that the trio will now not get the chance to one day captain Europe’s Ryder Cup team following their decision to quit.

Their departure renders them ineligible for inclusion when the match against the United States begins in Rome in September.

On Thursday, Westwood spoke out against the DP World Tour following the controversy, seemingly closing the door on any hope of a return in the future.

And McIlroy said: “I think it’s a shame that you’ve got the highest points score ever in the Ryder Cup and two guys that when they look back on their career, that’s probably going to be at least a big chunk of their legacy is the roles that they have played in the Ryder Cup for Europe.

“For those three guys to not captain Europe one day, it’s a shame. But as the DP World Tour said in their statement, at the end of the day that was their choice and they knew that these were potentially going to be the consequences of those choices and of those actions and here we are.

“Yeah, it’s certainly a shame.”

Europe’s captain, Luke Donald, echoed McIlroy’s sentiments and said he is sad that the three will not be available to represent the side.

Donald, who will lead the Europe team as they seek to win the Ryder Cup for the first time since 2018, felt sorry that the situation had come to this.

“It’s sad we’ve got to this point but this was always a possibility,” Donald told BBC Sport. “I played with all three and they’ve been stalwarts of, and given a lot to, both the Ryder Cup and European Tour.

“I have a little more clarity now. I know they’re not an option to play in, or be any part of my team. It is a shame. They’ve got a lot of history when it comes to the Ryder Cup.

“Ultimately this is their choice and I wish them well. They feel like this was the best choice for them and now I’ve got choices to make that are best for me.

“There are generational shifts throughout the history of the Ryder Cup and maybe this is one.

“We certainly have plenty of great players to look at and pick from and I’m certainly excited about how everyone has played this year so far.”

Donald was made captain in 2022 after Henrik Stenson was dismissed for joining in the Saudi-backed LIV tour.

He will be without three of Europe’s most successful performers in the contest, with Westwood having featured as a player a record 11 times and Poulter unbeaten in singles across his seven appearances. Garcia is Europe’s all-time record points scorer.

Donald added: “There’s great momentum with European golf. We’ve already had seven winners in the US [this season] and a bunch of people who haven’t played in the Ryder Cup have played great this year on the DP World Tour, so I’m excited about the make-up of this team.”

Lee Westwood has accused the DP World Tour of being “fully in bed” with the PGA Tour after announcing his resignation from the European circuit.

Westwood and fellow Ryder Cup stars Ian Poulter and Sergio Garcia have resigned their membership and are therefore no longer eligible for the biennial contest against the United States.

The trio were among the players fined £100,000 and suspended for two tournaments after playing the first LIV Golf event last year without permission.

Westwood and Poulter were also among the 12 members of the Saudi-funded breakaway who lost an appeal against the sanctions last month and were deemed to have committed “serious breaches” of the DP World Tour’s code of behaviour by a three-man arbitration panel.

Westwood confirmed he has paid the fine and is keen to “move on”, but reiterated his criticism of the way the PGA Tour and DP World Tour have reacted to the emergence of LIV Golf.

“I’ve been a dual member of the European Tour and PGA Tour, but always said I was a European Tour member first and foremost and that I had fears about the US circuit basically being bullies and doing everything it could to secure global dominance,” Westwood told The Telegraph.

“Check my old quotes, it’s all there.

“But now, in my opinion, the European Tour has jumped fully in bed with the PGA Tour and even though Keith (Pelley, the chief executive) says he hates to hear it, it is now a feeder tour for the PGA Tour.

“The top 10 players on the tour, not already exempt this year, have a pathway to the PGA Tour – that’s giving our talent away. That was never the tour’s policy before this ‘strategic alliance’.

“Sorry, I don’t want to play under that sort of regime.

“I mulled it over and just didn’t like the thought of the tour continuously hitting us with more fines and bans that would have been hanging over me.

“I’ve paid my fine out of respect for the arbitration panel and have then taken the decisions out of the tour’s hands. I honestly want to move on.”

Pablo Larrazabal battled his way to the top of a congested leaderboard on Sunday afternoon to claim his eighth DP World Tour title at the Korea Championship.

The Spaniard secured a two-shot victory over Dane Marcus Helligkilde after carding six birdies and a single bogey in a closing 67 to reach 12 under par.

Larrazabal went into the final round one shot off the lead having bogeyed the 17th when he returned to complete his weather-disrupted third round in the morning.

He then found himself in a five-way tie at the top on nine under at the turn following two front-nine birdies.

Larrazabal slipped from the summit after dropping his first shot of the round on the 10th hole but roared back, making four birdies in the next five holes to open up a three-shot lead.

He then safely parred his way home to clinch a first visit to the winner’s circle since the ISPS Handa Championship in Spain last April.

The 39-year-old said: “I love to compete, I love to fly out here, to see all these young guys hitting it miles and try to beat them.

“And that’s what makes me the happiest guy in the world.”

Scotland’s Scott Jamieson finished in a four-way tie for third on nine under alongside home favourite Park Sanghyun, Spain’s Jorge Campillo, Dutchman Joost Luiten, with fellow Scot Robert MacIntyre another shot further back.

Lucas Herbert was "shaking" prior to sinking the winning putt on the second playoff hole against Aaron Cockerill to win the ISPS Handa Championship in Japan.

The Australian was tied with his Canadian rival at 15 under par for the tournament after the regulation holes, Herbert having missed a 20-footer for birdie at the last.

Herbert, who had travel issues and arrived late into Japan, missed his birdie attempt at the first extra hole, where Cockerill agonisingly lipped out.

He then found the trees off the tee but recovered brilliantly to make birdie and take home a third DP World Tour title.

"It's pretty special. I got pretty lucky over there on the right to get a good lie after we dropped it," Herbert said.

"Nick [caddie Nick Pugh] gave me the number and it was basically perfect. It was exactly what you'd want off that lie.

"So it was good to hit a good shot in there. And then my hand was shaking all over the place just to get the putt started on line, and to have it fall in was pretty cool."

Calum Hill was third at 14 under, one clear of fellow Scotsman Grant Forrest and home favourite Hiroshi Iwata

Matthew Baldwin secured his maiden DP World Tour title after cruising to a seven-shot victory at the SDC Championship in South Africa.

Appearing in his 200th event on the circuit, Baldwin finally landed his first trophy after finishing on 18 under par at St. Francis Links, seven clear of Spaniard Adri Arnaus.

After a brilliant end to his third round, in which he made three birdies in the last four holes, the Englishman entered the final round with a four-shot advantage at the top of the leaderboard.

He subsequently moved six clear after a further three birdies, including back-to-back gains on the seventh and eighth holes, playing a series of excellent recovery shots to keep him clear of the chasing pack.

After bogeying the 11th, the 37-year-old had successive birdies again on the 13th and 14th – producing a neat 20-foot putt on the latter – before parring his way home for a 68 to ease to victory.

"I'm not 100 per cent sure what's just happened," Baldwin said. "It's been a tough few years, so obviously to get the win means absolutely everything. I can't process it right now, but it just means the world to me.

"It's been windy all week, it's that sort of golf course. Fortunately for me, I've grown up playing in Southport at Hesketh and Royal Birkdale, so I'm pretty good in the wind, and it's worked out a treat for me."

Second-placed Arnaus finished on 11 under after seven birdies and two bogeys in his closing 67, with Jaco Ahlers, Jens Dantorp, Ewen Ferguson, Kristian Krogh Johannessen and Antoine Rozner all a shot behind in a tie for third.