Nicolai Højgaard wins DP World Tour Championship

Nicolai Højgaard carded a 64 in a dramatic final-round to win the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai on Sunday by two-strokes and take home the winner's cheque of $3 million and finish second in the Race to Dubai.

The Dane finished 21-under-par overall, two-strokes ahead of Viktor Hovland, Tommy Fleetwood and Matt Wallace, and will climb to a career-high 50th in the world rankings.

Højgaard had led after the first two days in Dubai, but entered the final round three shots off the lead, but managed to pull himself back up the leaderboard with a front nine score of 33.

Wallace began the final day with a one-stroke lead over Fleetwood and Hovland, but was unable to maintain the form which had seen him hit nine back birdies on Saturday.

This left the Ryder Cup trio of Højgaard, Fleetwood and Hovland to set the pace and after the opening nine holes, the Dane sat one-stroke off the leading pair after hitting three birdies.

The opening three holes on the back nine saw Fleetwood take control, hitting two birdies to Højgaard's one birdie and one bogey, which left him three-strokes adrift of Fleetwood.

After that, it was Højgaard who clawed back the deficit and hit the front with five consecutive birdies, but the 22-year-old was left to sweat in the clubhouse after missing what looked like an easy putt for a birdie on the final hole.

Hovland hit the water with his second shot on the final hole but the Norwegian managed to salvage a par to finish on 19-under, which left Fleetwood out on the course as the man who could steal Højgaard's win.

The Englishman, however, hit a bogey on the 17th and a par on the final hole, with Wallace hitting three birdies on the final five holes to join Fleetwood and Hovland on 19-under-par for the tournament, and Højgaard could finally celebrate.

"I've got family here, this one is for the family," an emotional Højgaard said.

"Everything they've put in over the years, there's just so much hard work going into this and for it to happen like this is unbelievable."

World number two Rory McIlroy carded a 70 on the final day to finish on 10-under-par overall.

Nicolai Højgaard wins the DP World Tour Championship 🏆

He birdies five of his final six holes to claim his first Rolex Series title!#DPWTC | #RolexSeries pic.twitter.com/VA7XLaPOpu

— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) November 19, 2023