For the second year running, Rory McIlroy had to choke back tears beside the 18th green at Earth Course while he pondered Seve Ballesteros’ influence on his life.
Ahead of the final round of the season, the world No 2 spoke to the late, great Spanish player’s wife, Carmen. He revealed she had told him out proud she thought Ballesteros would have been about the career McIlroy has put together.
McIlroy then proceeded to stave off the challengers on the last day of the DP World Tour Championship to claim his seventh Race to Dubai title. That takes his career tally to seven orders of merit – which is one more than Ballesteros.
“I think Seve's spirit lives on in the European Tour and in the European Ryder Cup team, and he was always my dad's favourite player,” McIlroy said, who needs one more crown to match Colin Montgomerie's Race to Dubai record total of eight.
“He's a beacon of what European golf stands for. I just think about growing up playing golf, and my dad being such a big part of it, and then his connection with Seve.
“Seve was the one that really inspired him to play golf. When I hear ‘Seve’, it brings me back through my whole journey in the game, and it's quite emotional.”
McIlroy’s final day heroics at the DP World Tour Championship were not quite enough to take the tournament itself.
He made an extraordinary eagle at the 72nd hole to force a play-off, but Matt Fitzpatrick then proceeded to win that, to himself match McIlroy for three wins for the season-ending event.
While he was delighted to make it a hat-trick of his own, Fitzpatrick eulogised about the player he beat to take the tournament.
“There's a handful of players in the world of golf who are not on your 'A' list of people to play against in a play-off; obviously he's right up there,” Fitzpatrick said.
“He said [after Fitzpatrick won] congratulations and great end of the season for me. There's not many people in the game better than him, not just a golfer, but just as a person.
“He's achieved so much in the game, it would be very easy to have a very large head and basically just like himself very, very much.
“He's the polar opposite. He cares so much about other people, this tour and the game of golf, and that shows in how he is each and every day.
“It's just a real privilege to call him a friend, and be on a Ryder Cup team with him and achieve those things together.”
The Harry Vardon Trophy, which is given to the winner of the Race to Dubai, is a massive piece of silverware. Having seven of them now means there is a premium on room in McIlroy’s trophy cabinet. Lucky, then, that he has plenty of houses, with plenty of room to display all his wares.
“I like to display my trophies but I like displaying them in places that aren't prominent in the house,” McIlroy said.
“The trophies in Wentworth are stuck in the basement. But it's nice; I go in there and hit some balls or hit some putts. It's nice to see them and get some inspiration from them.
“I think we were more concerned about the colour of [daughter] Poppy's bedroom than where my trophies were going.”
The latest Race to Dubai title capped off the finest season of McIlroy’s career, having completed the career Grand Slam by winning his first Masters title, as well playing a central role in winning the Ryder Cup with Europe.
His place at the top of the money list was assured when Marco Penge and Tyrrell Hatton finished the final tournament in the chasing pack.
“It's absolutely incredible,” McIlroy said. “I knew I still had a bit of work to do to get over the line in the Race to Dubai.
“I played some really good golf last weekend [when he finished third in Abu Dhabi] to go a little further than Marco.
“But even going into today, Tyrrell was only one back and it was a bunched leaderboard, so I knew I needed to go out and play well and get the job done.”
