DP World Tour Championship: Danny Willett ends title drought with victory in European Tour finale in Dubai

Leaderboard

• -18 Willett
• -16 Reed, Wallace
• -14 Rahm, Otaegui, Burmester
• -13 Frittelli, Lewis

Day four report

Willett carded a final round of 68 at Jumeirah Golf Estates to finish 18 under par, two shots ahead of fellow Englishman Matt Wallace and current Masters champion Patrick Reed.

• Molinari crowned European No.1

The 31-year-old from Sheffield had not tasted victory since winning his first major title at Augusta National and had slumped from a career-high of ninth to outside the world's top 450 earlier this season after numerous injuries and a loss of form.

Willett credits coach Sean Foley - who formerly coached Tiger Woods - and fitness trainer Kev Duffy for his resurgence, first teaming up with Foley at last year's US PGA Championship when he admitted he was "pretty low and open to trying anything" to save his career.

The move paid off and Willett was slowing climbing the world rankings with three top-10 finishes on the European Tour this season, including a tie for seventh in Turkey a fortnight ago.

Having started the final round in a share of the lead with Reed, Willett surged three shots clear with a long-range eagle on the par-five second and a birdie on the seventh.

That lead was wiped out after bogeys on the 10th and 12th, but Willett responded brilliantly to birdie the 14th, 15th and 17th before a heart-stopping moment on the last, where his drive somehow finished inches short of the creek which runs the length of the hole.

Day three report

Danny Willett admits he despised golf as he suffered through his personal version of Groundhog Day but will enjoy battling it out for the DP World Tour Championship title, regardless of the result.

Former Masters champion Willett and current green jacket holder Patrick Reed share the lead on 14 under par heading into the final round of the season-ending event in Dubai, with Jordan Smith one shot behind at Jumeirah Golf Estates.

Lee Westwood, who is seeking back-to-back wins following his victory in Sun City last week, is two shots off the lead alongside halfway leader Matt Wallace and South Africa's Dean Burmester, with Rory McIlroy five adrift after a 71 which included a double-bogey on the 17th.

And with Tommy Fleetwood effectively conceding defeat to Ryder Cup partner Francesco Molinari in the battle to win the Race to Dubai, the stage is clear for a final-round shoot-out which could signal an emphatic end to Willett's on-course struggles.

"It is very pleasing to see results out here and even at home when I practice I can see what is potentially around the corner," Willett said after a third round of 68. "There were times when I was despising golf because it was like Groundhog Day; turn up, be in pain, miss the cut and repeat.

"When I met up with Foles (coach Sean Foley) at last year's US PGA I was pretty low and open to trying anything and that from day onwards we've been on a good path and elongating a career that would have been disappointing to stop after five years because of being injured."

Willett has not tasted victory since winning his first major title at Augusta in April 2016 and was outside the world's top 450 earlier this season following numerous injuries and a loss of form.

But the 31-year-old from Sheffield has also shown signs of improvement with three top-10 finishes and said recently he no longer felt like golf's version of "Humpty Dumpty."

"It was a very, very dark place," he added. "There was no light coming through the trees. Just a big stump in front of my ball. My main goal this year was not really a golfing goal, but body-wise.

"If I could finish the season healthier and fitter than I started the season, I would be somewhere near and that's exactly what we've done. I'm not going to lie, it would be an amazing thing to win, but regardless of what happens, just looking more in the long-term of my career, really, is pretty good."

Reed shrugged off an indifferent warm-up and stiff back to card a five-under-par 67 as he looks to end the season on a high with his first win since making his own major breakthrough at Augusta.

"With the limited schedule that I play over here on the European Tour, to have a chance to go out and finish the year off right and win a golf tournament, give myself a little early Christmas gift of a trophy, would be amazing," Reed said.

Fleetwood admitted his chances of lifting the trophy had disappeared with a lifeless 74 which left him just a shot ahead of Molinari but, more significantly, eight strokes behind Willett and Reed on a densely-packed leaderboard.

"Today pretty much summed up the second half of the season," said Fleetwood, who needs to win the title to have any chance of overhauling Molinari on the money list. "I've done plenty of good stuff in tournaments and then had days like today.

"At the end of the day it's just golf, but it does hurt when you have days like that. I feel the adrenaline might have gone now. I think you kind of know when your time's up. I lasted within two days of the (end of the) season and like I've said, it was always a stretch trying to win it."

Day two report

Matt Wallace carded a second-round 65 to move into the lead as he bids to cap a fine season with victory in the DP World Tour Championship.

Unfortunate to miss out on a Ryder Cup spot having won the Made In Denmark days before Thomas Bjorn selected his wild cards, Wallace is now looking for his fourth title of the year and biggest of his career so far.

The Englishman started Friday's round with a birdie from 20 feet and a burst of three in four holes from the 11th saw him reach 11-under.

Wallace missed a short putt for a further birdie at the last but will nevertheless enter the weekend one shot ahead of Danny Willett, who fought back from a slow start to make it back-to-back rounds of 67, Adrian Otaegui and Jordan Smith.

"I've got rid of all the expectations," explained Wallace. "I'm playing with freedom. Last week was the best I've had mentally."

Rory McIlroy is three back after a serene 67 which ought to have been lower, the four-time major champion missing opportunities at the fifth, seventh, eighth, 11th, 12th, 15th, 17th and 18th after a near flawless tee-to-green display.

McIlroy, chasing his third win in the event, was outscored by playing partner Patrick Reed, whose putter was far more reliable in a round of 66 which saw the Masters champion move inside the top five.

McIlroy was nevertheless delighted to move into contention after some indifferent form in his two starts since helping Europe regain the Ryder Cup at the end of September.

"I have to be pleased," the four-time major winner said. "It's a massive improvement considering the golf I've played the last couple of weeks. To shoot two scores in the 60s is great.

"I just want to give myself another chance to win a golf tournament. I've given myself plenty of chances this year. I just haven't capitalised on those chances."

Tommy Fleetwood's Race To Dubai hopes improved with a round of 67 which saw him keep pace with McIlroy, as rival Francesco Molinari slumped to a 73 which saw him drop outside the top 25.

Fleetwood still needs to win the event if he's to defend his season-long title, but if he does so and Molinari fails to climb inside the top five he will have completed an impressive turnaround to deny the Open champion a first money list success.

Day one report

Race To Dubai leader Francesco Molinari stumbled home after what had been a fine start to the DP World Tour Championship at the Earth Course.

Teeing off in the final group alongside Tommy Fleetwood, the other half of the 'Moliwood' partnership so successful at the Ryder Cup, Molinari carded an opening 68 to sit two off the lead but ought to have been closer to the top.

A bogey at the 15th, where the Italian three-putted from 20 feet, was his first mistake and another arrived in similar fashion at the 18th, where the Italian's birdie putt raced past the hole before he missed the return.

Molinari, who would be the first Italian to finish top of the money list, said: "It's only Thursday so there are so many things that can happen. Both of us did not hit the ball our best but we managed to scramble well and close out two decent rounds.

"I did a good job of thinking shot by shot and that's what I need to do. I don't think there is any benefit to thinking about what-ifs. It's too early."

After Fleetwood birdied the final hole having appeared set to make bogey, the Englishman carding a three-under 69, there is life in the season-long battle between the two friends who are fighting to be crowned the European Tour's golfer of the year.

Fleetwood will need to win the event and hope Molinari finishes sixth or worse if he's to defend his Race To Dubai title but his prospects of doing so were significantly enhanced over the final hour of Thursday's first round.

Sky Bet odds

4/1 Rahm

8/1 McIlroy

9/1 Molinari

12/1 bar

Jordan Smith, the Englishman who has returned to form over the last three months, shares the lead with straight-hitting Spanish player Adrian Otaegui.

Smith was level par through 12 before picking up six shots over the final six holes, including an eagle at the 14th, whereas Otaegui's progress was more serene in a bogey-free start to the tournament.

Defending champion Jon Rahm is a shot behind on five-under after an eventful end to his round, first three-putting for bogey at the 16th, then making an excellent bogey putt having found water at the 17th, before a tap-in birdie at the last.

Rahm had moved to six-under when his approach to the 15th hole came to rest inside four feet but was ultimately relieved to get a shot back at the 18th, where he faced an awkward stance for his second but recovered before firing a wedge in close.

Danny Willett's resurgence continued with a five-under 67 to match Rahm's, while Ross Fisher, Hao-tong Li, Thomas Pieters and Matt Wallace join Molinari to make up the group on four-under, two behind and tied for fifth.

"It's a shame it's the last event of the season," said Willett, who was seventh in Turkey a fortnight ago. "From June, July onwards we were making better strides and we could work harder and work longer and that's had a big impact.

"Now we're on track and we're able to work a bit harder and I'm seeing the results quite nicely in practise and in Turkey it was nice to kind of take it to the golf course.

"We got here and have the ball under nice control and the movement is pretty good. We've got 54 holes left in the year and will just play till the bell goes and see where we finish."

Rory McIlroy's bid for a third victory in the event began with two birdies in his opening three holes, before back-to-back bogeys immediately after undid the good work. Still, the world number six remained patient and birdied the sixth, eighth and 18th holes to get to three-under and three back.

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