Updated at 1300
IT WAS ALWAYS a long shot but reigning champion Rory McIlroy certainly left little in the tank after a blistering final round at the Dubai Desert Classic.
A difficult Friday saw the 26-year-old lose ground on the other contenders and despite an impressive 68 in his third round, he began Sunday well off the pace.
Still, he started brightly with three birdies from the front nine. There was a slight hiccup at the 12th when he dropped a shot but made five more birdies from the back nine to rack up a brilliant 65 that left him at -7 for his round and -15 overall.
It wasn’t enough to catch Danny Willett though. He kept his nerve during the final round to finish on -19 overall, one shot clear of Andy Sullivan.
