Shane Lowry was in position to win the Dubai Invitational before a final hole double bogey
Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry took home the same amount of prize money at the Dubai Invitational after the Offaly man’s one-shot lead vanished on the final hole as Nacho Elvira staged a remarkable comeback to clinch victory.
Lowry, who started the final round tied for second and two strokes behind the Spaniard, surged into the lead after a birdie on the 15th and looked set to secure the title.
However, the Offaly golfer’s fortunes took a turn for the worse on the 18th when he found both bunker and water, resulting in a double bogey that shattered his hopes and cleared the path for Elvira, who had been struggling earlier in the round, to calmly par the 18th and claim victory.
Elvira concluded the tournament with a 10-under par total of 274, narrowly beating fast-finishing Kiwi Daniel Hillier by one shot, with Lowry another shot behind in a tie for third alongside three other players, including Rory McIlroy.
McIlroy, who began the final round three shots off the lead, fought his way into contention as Elvira faltered, even briefly holding a share of an increasingly crowded leaderboard, reports the Irish Mirror.
Both Lowry and McIlroy walked away with cheques for £98,000, while Elvira pocketed £349,000 for his win, with runner-up Hillier earning £226,000.
Lowry, aiming for his first DP World Tour title since his victory at the 2022 BMW PGA Championship, seemed to have made the decisive move with a 25-foot birdie on the 15th to take the lead. When McIlroy missed his birdie opportunity on the 17th, it appeared to open the door for his close friend.
However, just after Lowry’s overly powerful second shot on the 18th ended up in the water, Elvira birdied the 17th to take the lead.
Hillier, whose final round of 65 was six-under-par, had put himself in contention and was hoping for a play-off. However, Elvira from Spain, who had seen his overnight lead vanish after consecutive early bogeys, remained composed.
England’s Marcus Armitage, another brief leader, fell back with bogeys on the 12th and 14th and a double bogey on the last, finishing four strokes behind in a tie for seventh.
Elvira told Sky Sports: “It means the world. If you had told me on Tuesday that I was going to be winning this I would never have believed you. It is a dream come true.”
