Nacho Elvira secured his third DP World Tour title by winning the 2026 Dubai Invitational, capitalizing on final-hole mishaps by Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry. The Spaniard finished at 10 under par, one stroke ahead of Daniel Hillier. McIlroy and Lowry both ended tied for third at eight under after bogey and double-bogey finishes on the 18th hole.
The final round of the 2026 Dubai Invitational at Dubai Creek Resort unfolded with intense drama on January 18, as Elvira held off a charging field to claim victory. Entering the day with a two-stroke lead, Elvira extended it to three after a birdie at the seventh hole, reaching 11 under. However, back-to-back bogeys on eight and nine allowed challengers to close the gap.
Rory McIlroy, starting three shots back, mounted a strong comeback with a chip-in birdie at three but suffered bogeys at four and seven, falling six behind. He then reeled off five consecutive birdies from nine through 13 to tie for the lead at nine under. A 30-foot birdie attempt at the par-3 14th lipped out for par, keeping him level with Elvira and Daniel Hillier. On the par-4 18th, McIlroy's drive veered right into trees near a lagoon, his approach landed in a greenside bunker, and he missed a 15-foot par putt for bogey, dropping to eight under.
Shane Lowry, beginning two strokes off the pace, birdied three of his first four holes and added another at the par-5 13th to join the leaders at nine under. A 27-foot birdie at 15 gave him the solo lead at 10 under. But on 18, his approach overshot into the bunker, and his sand shot flew into the water, leading to a double-bogey six and also eight under, tying McIlroy for third with David Puig and Julien Guerrier.
Elvira, after saving par at 10 following a water hazard, birdied 17 to regain the lead and parred 18 with a two-putt from the fringe for a 69 and 10 under. Hillier shot 65 for second at nine under. "It means the world," Elvira said. "If you told me on Tuesday that I'm going to be winning this, I would have never believed you."
McIlroy reflected positively: "I wasn’t really focused on winning the tournament... Overall it was a good first week back. I felt like I learned a lot of stuff about my game." This marks Elvira's first win since May 2024.
