For Rory McIlroy, déjà vu in Dubai. Two months after his late derailment at the DP World Tour Championship, the world No 8 came a cropper in the emirate once more.
This time, McIlroy misfired on the closing two holes — back in November, in the season finale, he bogeyed three of the final four — when a par-bogey finish put paid to his chances of a record-equalling third Dubai Desert Classic.
Slync, the new tournament sponsors, were given the grandstand conclusion they most probably desired — and more than once, first provided by Viktor Hovland, then Richard Bland, then McIlroy and, finally, by Hovland, this time victor, again.
McIlroy, though, could have done without another dramatic denouement in the desert. He began the day in the final three-ball, but in solo second, two shots behind Justin Harding.
A bogey at the first was therefore not the start he would have wished, but with Harding and Fleetwood both dropping shots too, the damage was limited. Then McIlroy birdied the sixth — brilliantly — and the seventh, and the firm fan’s favourite all around a packed Emirates Golf Club seemed set to bound his way to the title.
After a gutsy bogey on the 10th, McIlroy bounced back with birdie on the next, and the lead was his. He picked up another shot on the par-5 13th.
By the time the four-time major champion played 17, Hovland had stormed to the clubhouse lead, courtesy of an astonishing birdie-eagle-birdie finish. Bland, seeking a second DP World Tour title less than a year after his first arrived at the 478th attempt, would soon birdie the final two holes to join the Norwegian on 12-under.
Still, McIlroy had a driveable par-4 and a reachable par-5 for Classic crown No 3. But he hooked his tee-shot at the penultimate hole into a bush and, opting not to take a drop, gorged his second into the rough. A stirring up-and-down for par appeared to hand McIlroy much-need momentum for the last. A birdie would seal victory.
So McIlroy sent a 3-wood to the heart of the fairway and, with 267 yards to go and the wind blowing back into him, selected not to lay up and instead go for the green. This time, his 3-wood arced way right into the water, leaving another up-and-down for the play-off.
McIlroy, however, chipped to 16 foot and watched his par putt slink around the hole’s edge, and his race was run. He signed for a 71, and third place.
McIlroy, for the second time in quick succession in Dubai, appeared stunned. Earlier, after registering a superb 66 and waiting to learn his tournament fate, Hovland told broadcasters that he expected McIlroy to “close this one out”.
“Looks like he's got this one,” he shrugged. Yet, ultimately, McIlroy didn't.
