DP World Tour : Dubai Invitational Leaderboard
Spanish veteran Nacho Elvira with his wife and 2 girls waiting anxiously, emerged from a 5 player logjam, holding his nerve after making 3 bogey's around the turn to make a two putt par at the 18th for 69 -10 which was just enough for the win, after it looked like Rory and Shane Lowry were going to battle it out.
However after making 5 birdies in a row, Rory made a bogey 5 at the 18th from the back bunker, later Lowry who'd been in the lead all week, went long at the same hole, then splashed his bunker shot out and watched as it ran right off the green into the pond, resulting in a double bogey 6, and a T3 with Rory at -8. more to follow,,,,,,
Nacho Elvira came out on top with a nerveless display during a roller coaster final round to claim his third DP World Tour title at the 2026 Dubai Invitational
No less than five players shared the lead on a chaotic Sunday at Dubai Creek Resort, where overnight leader Elvira cruised into a three-shot lead following a third birdie of the day at the seventh.
He left the door ajar when finishing his front nine with successive bogeys as Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry, Daniel Hillier and Marcus Armitage joined the Spaniard at the summit at -9 down the final stretch.
Lowry made his move with a birdie at the 15th, only to double bogey the last and spectacularly fall out of contention.
Hillier was the clubhouse leader at -9 but Elvira carded his first birdie of the back nine at the 17th to earn a one-shot lead down the last and calmly rolled a final par for a brilliant victory.
"It means the world," the 38-year-old said. "If you told me on Tuesday that I'd be winning this tournament I'd have never believed you.
"It's a dream come true, especially having the family here. I've always dreamed to have my kids walking up to me with a win and anything that happens after this, nothing compares to this.
"I knew at some point it was going to be difficult, especially with the great players playing in front of me. I somehow managed to make a par on ten, managed somehow to make a par on 11 and I guess I calmed down a little after this and stayed patient.
"To be honest with you, I wasn't nervous until the very last putt - the one-footer I had for the win. I knew what I needed to do, I knew I needed to be patient.
"I think there are so many positives from this week and I couldn't be more happier."
Frenchman Julien Guerrier bounced back from a double bogey at the second with seven birdies to sit in a share of third at -8 alongside Spain's David Puig, McIlroy and Lowry.
Armitage double-bogeyed the last to join Matt Wallace and Dane Thorbjørn Olesen at -6 while France's Antoine Rozner and South African duo Thriston Lawrence and Dylan Frittelli were one shot further back -5 to wrap up the top ten.
europeantour.com
Bryan Angus (edit)
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