Dubai: Robert MacIntyre ensured he will be making a second trip to Dubai for the season-ending DP World Tour Championship next month after sealing his place in the European Tour’s finale with victory at the Aphrodite Hills Cyprus Showdown.
A birdie-birdie finish on the final day saw the Scot post a seven-under-par 64 which ensured he would lift European Tour silverware for the first time with a one-stroke triumph over Masahiro Kawamura.
The 24-year-old, who was named the European Tour’s Rookie of the Year at last year’s DP Word Tour Championship, had been a picture of consistency all week at Aphrodite Hills Resort, comfortably progressing through the event which saw the field cut to 32 and then 19 players after rounds two and three respectively, with the scores reset to par for the final two days as part of the innovative format.
“It’s been an aim all season to qualify for the DP World Tour Championship and I thought I could secure it last week, but I needed a good finish. That’s why I was going to South Africa to go and secure the spot in Dubai, but this week has taken care of that,” said MacIntyre, who jumped up 33 places to 24th in the Race to Dubai Rankings.
“I had my whole family out in Dubai last time, it’s one of the best events of the year if not the best, everyone’s enjoying themselves. They know it’s one final push and you’re still going out to win a golf tournament and I’m sure I’ll be trying my hardest when I get there,” he added.
Kawamura’s runner-up finish was the best European Tour result of his career and also secured a maiden appearance at the Earth course for the DP World Tour Championship — the European Tour’s fourth and final Rolex Series event of 2020 — after climbing from 68th to 35th in the rankings.
Meanwhile, Jorge Campillo moved inside the top-20 in the rankings after a third-place finish saw him collect 125 Race to Dubai points which moved him up to 19th from 27th. Thomas Detry, Callum Shinkwin and Johannes Veerman shared fourth with each player collecting 84.66 points.
Detry edges closer to the top-10 after moving up to 14th, Shinkwin jumps up eight places to 43rd, while Veerman climbs to 72nd as he looks to seal a debut in the DP World Tour Championship.
This year’s $8 million (Dh29.36 million) DP World Tour Championship is only four weeks away with some of the world’s best players set to take on the Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates from December 10-13.