DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Nacho Elvira benefitted from dramatic final-hole mishaps by Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry to win the Dubai Invitational by one shot on Sunday, securing his third title on the European tour.
The 190th-ranked Elvira did what the two Ryder Cup stars couldn’t and kept out of the trouble down No. 18, making a stress-free par and shooting 69 to finish on 10 under in the first tournament of 2026.
A few minutes earlier, Lowry had been on that number heading down the last but found the greenside bunker from his approach, then water across the green from the sand. He made a double-bogey 6 for a round of 69 and wound up two strokes back.
Before that, McIlroy arrived at the 18th tee a shot behind Lowry but pushed his drive way right into the rough, sent his approach into the bunker, and couldn’t get up and down. McIlroy and Lowry were tied for third place.
Daniel Hillier of New Zealand shot 65 and was alone in second place on 9 under.
“It means the world,” said Elvira, whose wife and children ran onto the green to celebrate with the 38-year-old Spaniard. “You tell me on Tuesday I would be winning this, I’d never believe you.
“Anything that happens after this, nothing can compare.”
Rollercoaster round
Elvira started the final round in the lead and held a three-shot advantage on 11 under after making birdie at No. 7. Then came back-to-back bogeys from No. 8 before he saved par at the par-5 No. 10 after hitting into water off his second shot, keeping him in touch with Lowry, McIlroy and a crowd of challengers.
Around an hour before the finish, five players — Hillier, McIlroy, Lowry, Marcus Armitage and Elvira — shared the lead on 9 under before Lowry rolled in a 30-footer for birdie at No. 15 to take the solo lead. He couldn’t hang on.
Elvira said he had “no idea” about Lowry’s meltdown on the 18th until after his second shot at the last.
“I knew I had two putts to win — I kind of felt more nervous, to be honest,” he said. “It’s a good position to be in but I was just a little bit nervous. But very happy.”
Lowry was seeking a first European tour title since September 2022 and a first win anywhere since capturing a team victory with close friend McIlroy at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans in April 2024.
McIlroy’s charge
McIlroy has won plenty since then — including the Masters last year to complete the career Grand Slam — and looked like starting 2026 with another victory after making five straight birdies from No. 9 to take a share of the lead.
He played the final five holes in 1 over, however.
“I wasn’t really focused on winning the tournament,” the No. 2-ranked McIlroy said. “I was just trying to piece it together and make some good swings and try to hit a few more fairways, which I did for the most part. Would have been nice to hit the fairway at the last to give myself a chance for birdie there.
“Overall it was a good first week back. I felt like I learned a lot of stuff about my game. I wasn’t very sharp, but hopefully I’m a little bit sharper going into next week than I was going into this week.”
Next stop
The European tour isn’t travelling far for its next event — about a half-hour drive up the coastline to the Dubai Desert Classic at Emirates Golf Club starting Thursday.
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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
