Rory McIlroy finishes top of DP World Tour rankings for fourth time

Rory McIlroy has been crowned DP World Tour number one for a fourth time after finishing in a tie for fourth at the season-ending DP World Tour Championship.

The 33-year-old becomes just the second player to win the Road to Dubai title and the FedEx Cup in the same season.

McIlroy carded a final-round 68 at the Jumeirah Golf Estates course to finish on 16-under, four shots behind the event winner Jon Rahm, who won the tournament for a third time after previous triumphs in 2017 and 2019.

Shane Lowry was tied for 23rd after a 71 left him on three under overall.

FINAL LEADERBOARD

McIlroy had put himself in contention for the tournament win after a third-round 65 on Saturday and was also in pole position for a fourth Harry Vardon Trophy, leading US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick in the projected standings.

He started Sunday strongly, with birdies on his opening two holes, before a bogey on the par-4 third.

Another birdie and bogey followed on the fifth and ninth respectively. But the Holywood golfer finished strongly with a trio of birdies on 10th, 14th and 15th.

Speaking to the DP World Tour after his final round, McIlroy said it meant a lot to him to finish atop the tour rankings for a fourth time.

"It's been seven years since I last done it. Obviously this is my fourth one but it's been a while," he said.

"I've won three FedEx Cups since the last time I won which was the Race to Dubai back then. But it means a lot. I think this fourth one, I was a model of consistency the whole way through the year. A lot of top finishes, I think the worst finish of the European tour events I played this year was 12th at the start of the year in Abu Dhabi.

"So just a really consistent season, (I) kept putting in good performances. It would have been