It's amazing, I had a conversation with Carmen [Ballesteros's ex-wife] before I went out to play today and she told me how proud he would have been. He means so much to this Tour and the European Ryder Cup team. We rally so much around his spirit and around his quotes and everything he meant for European golf. To equal him last year was cool, but to surpass him this year, I didn't get this far in my dreams, so it's very cool.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- Rory McIlroy holed an eagle putt on No. 18 to force a playoff but lost out to Matt Fitzpatrick, who won the World Tour Championship for a third time on a chaotic final day of the 2025 golf season on Sunday. The consolation for McIlroy was a fourth straight Race to Dubai title to complete a banner year that included winning the Masters to complete the career Grand Slam and an away Ryder Cup with Team Europe.
Yeah, I'm certainly not less driven, but maybe just more driven in focused areas. I don't feel like chasing as much anymore. I'm not out chasing the Grand Slam. I'm not chasing these things. I'm very content with what I've done in the game. I'm still driven to do more, but you know, it's sort of a pinpoint to drive in certain directions.
'It's appalling, really, our interest in the private lives of public people. Who would not wish Erica and Rory well? Only the most miserable among us. But if you follow golf, Rory McIlroy has been in your life for more than 15 years now, and your interest in his life is inseparable from your interest in his golf. It's just human nature ...
After his 'Fleetwood Mac' reunion ended in perfect harmony as he and an on-song Tommy Fleetwood thumped Collin Morikawa and Harris English 5&4 in the morning fourballs, he was engulfed in a thrilling fourballs battle where drama was never far away. It came down to the last putt where the Irishman was millimetres away from giving his side a 6-2 first-day lead. Instead he and Shane Lowry had to settle for a half against Sam Burns and Patrick Cantlay.
Honestly, I felt a little rushed out there for the last 12 holes. We got put on the clock pretty early, and then the first official went away, and then we put on the clock for the last three holes to try to make time up. And it's hard because you feel a bit rushed. You're playing some tough holes and our group has to deal with a lot more than any other group on the course.
