Haotong Li beats Rory McIlroy in Omega Dubai Desert Classic

Final leaderboard

-23 Haotong Li

-22 Rory McIlroy

-20 Tyrrell Hatton

-19 Alexander Levy

-17 Chris Paisley

Final round report

Haotong Li reeled in Rory McIlroy to secure the biggest victory of his burgeoning career in the Omega Dubai Desert Classic.

The Chinese carded a final-round 69 to record a tournament-record 23-under-par, a closing birdie enough to hold off the four-time major champion in what was a thrilling duel in the desert.

Li, who birdied four of the last six holes, said: "It's incredible, I'm so happy. Over the last four holes I hit some of the best shots of my life.

"I just didn't realise I could make that putt on 15. That was huge. I think that was the turning point. And especially on 18, didn't realise I would make that one, either.

I believe I think my game is in good position now, and especially after this week, it gives me a lot of confidence back, especially last week, missed the cut. So never been in this position again. Just want to be myself and play some decent golf in the future."

Li took a one-shot lead into Sunday's final round but let it slip with a bogey at the first, and another at the 10th saw him fall two behind McIlroy.

However, bogeys from McIlroy at 11 and 16, along with a three-putt par at the par-five 13th, opened the door for Li and he strode through for his second European Tour title.

After another bogey at the 12th hole, Li birdied the 13th with two putts from the back of the green before holing from 30 feet at the par-three 15th to draw level once more.

A par at the 16th was enough for Li to hold the lead on his own after McIlroy took four shots to find the green, and while the former world number one piled on the pressure with a tap-in birdie at the 17th, Li matched it from six feet to retain his advantage.

McIlroy unleashed a perfect drive down the final hole and hit the green in two, but Li stood firm once more with a wedge to 12 feet, before rolling home the birdie putt to seal a one-shot win after McIlroy's eagle attempt missed.

It was a disappointed end for McIlroy, who held a two-shot halfway lead, but there have been encouraging signs in both starts since his return from injury. He's 8/1 for the Masters with Sky Bet.

Asked his reaction at missing out on a first win since September 2016, McIlroy told European Tour Radio: "Yeah, p***** off.

"It was a couple of bad shots, a couple of poor decisions, a couple of mental errors, a few tentative putts out there, as well. I kept leaving myself in places where I couldn't really give it a run at the hole because they were downhill, downgrain, downwind.

"But I tried until the very end. Made two good birdies. Made him win it in the end, which was all I could do, and he played very well on the way in, birdieing three of the last four. I just wish I could get a couple of those holes back.

"If someone had of told me at the start of the year you'd finish third and second your first two events, I'd say, yeah, I'd take that. But being in the positions I've been in and having two close calls it's a little difficult. The competitor in me is very disappointed right now. I wanted to win. I always want to win, and I just didn't do enough when I needed to."

England's Tyrrell Hatton had threatened to steal the title with six birdies over the first 14 holes taking him within one, but a missed opportunity at 17 halted his momentum and his second to the last found water.

The 26-year-old did well to salvage par and post 20-under, which was ultimately three off Li's winning total. France's Alexander Levy finished fourth ahead of Chris Paisley, the Hexham professional who won his first European Tour title at the start of the month.

Third round report

Haotong Li produced a sparkling third-round 64 to move into the lead in the Omega Dubai Desert Classic, with Rory McIlroy hot on his heels.

The Chinese youngster carded eight birdies, four on each nine, in a bogey-free round which saw him overtake McIlroy, who was in front at halfway having completed his second round with five birdies in seven holes on Saturday morning.

McIlroy gave up the lead with a bogey at the fourth hole of round three and was two behind with nine to play, but two birdies over the closing three holes saw him move back within one of Li courtesy of a round of 68.

"Back-nine was good, front nine not so much," reflected McIlroy, who made eagle at the par-five 10th to spark an afternoon fightback. "I feel like if I play my game, I'll be able to shoot something lower tomorrow.

"The front nine played pretty tough, with where some of the pins were. I made a good two-putt on nine, had a little talk with myself, and played the back-nine much better."

Haydn Porteous and Alexander Levy both shot 65 to share third, three off the lead, with Andy Sullivan's best-of-the-day 63 enough to lift him from 31st to fifth.

Levy shared the lead midway through the third round, having made his move following a hole-in-one at the par-three fourth hole.

David Horsey, who led on Thursday morning, sits sixth after a tidy round of 68 and there are eight players tied for seventh, including recent SA Open one-two Chris Paisley and Branden Grace.

Jamie Donaldson, who was in front overnight before his clubhouse target was surpassed by McIlroy, laboured to a third-round 75, the second-worst round of the field on another day of low scoring at Emirates GC.

Sky Bet make McIlroy their 10/11 favourite with Li on offer at 2/1.

"I just want to play by myself and play my game," said Li.

"I mean, I thought if I just stayed patient, I'll play good. It was just very comfortable today and I made a lot of putts, obviously.

"I've never been in this position before, so it's going to be fun out there tomorrow. Hopefully I can do my best out there and have some low scores."

Second round report

Jamie Donaldson remains the man to catch after a weather-affected second day of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic, with Rory McIlroy well placed in the chasing pack.

McIlroy heads Sky Bet's odds to win the tournament at 6/4.

After fog delayed the start of play by two hours and 50 minutes, Donaldson added a 69 to his opening 62 at Emirates Golf Club to set the clubhouse target at 13 under par.

That gave the 42-year-old Welshman a one-shot lead over China's Li Haotong, who completed a second successive 66, with South Africa's Branden Grace a shot further back following a 65. Sweden's Alexander Bjork is also 11 under with six holes remaining.

Grace is second-favourite at 8/1 to lift the trophy and Donaldson can be backed at 12/1, the same price as Belgium's Thomas Pieters.

A late double bogey meant 54-year-old Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez had to settle for a 68 to finish 10 under par alongside South Africa's Thomas Aiken, with McIlroy on the same score with seven holes to play.

Donaldson, who had flirted with carding the first 59 on the European Tour on Thursday, understandably struggled to reproduce that sort of scoring, but recorded four birdies and a solitary bogey in pursuit of a first win since December 2015.

"I have backed up low scores like that with another one but today it wasn't to be," Donaldson told Sky Sports. "But yeah, quite happy with a 69.

"It was pretty solid again. Drove the ball well. Iron shots were good. Took the birdies generally when I hit it close enough, could have played the par fives maybe a little bit better. I went for it a bit on the last there, trying to get it right around the corner and blocked myself out.

"If you shoot three under on the par fives as opposed to one, then it's a different day. But overall I'm happy."

McIlroy made a flying start to his second round with three birdies in the first five holes, before dropping his first shot of the week following a wayward drive on the eighth.

The four-time major winner, who marked his first competitive start since October with a tie for third in Abu Dhabi last week, bounced back with a birdie on the 10th and parred the next before play was suspended for the day.

First round report

Jamie Donaldson flirted with carding the first 59 on the European Tour before having to settle for an opening 62 in the Omega Dubai Desert Classic.

Donaldson, who secured the winning point for Europe at Gleneagles in the 2014 Ryder Cup, began his round on the back nine of Emirates Golf Club and fired nine birdies and an eagle in his first 16 holes.

That left the Welshman needing two more birdies to break the magical 60 barrier, but after almost chipping in on the eighth and tapping in for par, the 42-year-old bogeyed the ninth to miss out on equalling the course record of 61.

Donaldson, 16/1 with Sky Bet to win the tournament, still enjoyed a one-shot lead over David Horsey and Anthony Wall, with Tyrrell Hatton a shot further back and Rory McIlroy on seven under after an earlier 65.

"I'm not going to lie to you, I was thinking about it (shooting 59)," the world number 292 told Sky Sports. "I birdied five and then thought if I just birdie them all coming in I've done it.

"Sometimes you're best not thinking and just keep playing but I was picturing birdieing them all and then jumping in the lake on the last.

"Unfortunately I pushed my tee shots on eight and nine but I'm very happy with how I've played and 59 is only a bonus, isn't it? It's icing on the cake. Everybody wants to shoot 59, but it's something that is only on if you're playing really good golf and that's gone now, so it's just a case of more of the same moving on."

Sky Bet make McIlroy the 5/2 favourites to win the Omega Dubai Desert Classic.

"I don't think you could have got better conditions out there," McIlroy told Sky Sports. "The greens in the morning are perfect and there wasn't much wind for probably the first 12 or 13 holes. So you needed to take advantage of it today. Thankfully I was able to do that.

"I feel like I left a few out there but at the end of the day, 65, you're not going to complain about that."

Asked to compare his mood now and at the end of last season, the former world number one added: "It's a big difference. Not being able to play to my best last year was something that I was very frustrated with.

"But from then until now, it completely different. I'm really happy with where my body is, where my game is and this is just a progression of what I've seen over the past couple of months, which has been nice.

"I didn't expect to play as well as I did last week, and it's been nice to continue that into this week. Yeah, I'm ahead of schedule right now, but I don't mind that. That's nice. (I) Just have to reassess everything and go from there."

Related links

• Sky Bet's golf odds