Shane Lowry discovered water on the 18th gap as he missed out on the Dubai Invitational title to Nacho Elvira in a dramatic last spherical.
Lowry held a one-shot lead heading to the ultimate gap, however a wayward bunker shot flew previous the flag and rolled into the lake on the far facet of the inexperienced.
A gap behind, in a single day chief Elvira made a birdie putt on the seventeenth to hitch Lowry on 10 beneath whereas the Irishman toiled.
Whereas Lowry needed to accept a double bogey on the ultimate gap and dropped again to eight beneath, Spain’s Elvira secured the par he wanted to win the third title of his profession.
Rory McIlroy was one in every of 5 gamers concerned in a tie for the lead halfway down the again 9, together with Elvira, Lowry, England’s Marcus Armitage and New Zealand’s Daniel Hillier, however the challengers fell away one after the other.
A gap forward of his Ryder Cup team-mate, McIlroy required a birdie to tie for the lead however, foreshadowing Lowry’s destiny, he overhit from the identical bunker and his likelihood slipped away.
Masters champion McIlroy was left to rue a gradual begin however quickly put himself in competition with 5 birdies in a row.
That left him with an opportunity of victory, however a wayward tee shot on the 18th left him in deep tough and he may solely discover the bunker together with his restoration, and that ended his hopes.
“I used to be simply attempting to get essentially the most out of what I had. I did not have the best of begins and I wasn’t actually centered on profitable, I used to be simply attempting to piece it along with good swings,” McIlroy informed Sky Sports activities.
“It was nonetheless first week again and I discovered quite a bit about my sport. I wasn’t very sharp, however hopefully I am a bit sharper now going into subsequent week.”
The demise of McIlroy left a shootout between Lowry, who had moved into the solo lead on 10 beneath with a birdie on the thirteenth, and Elvira, who had led however fell again into the pack after back-to-back bogeys on the eighth and ninth.
Nevertheless, an outstanding restoration from Elvira on the tenth, when he made par regardless of taking a drop for locating water, sparked his comeback and he held his nerve to win.
“It means the world. For those who had informed me on Tuesday that I used to be going to be profitable this I might by no means have believed you,” the 38-year-old informed Sky Sports activities.
“It is a dream come true, particularly having my household right here. No matter occurs now won’t come near this.”
