In this week’s “The Starter,” PGA professional Brendon Elliott, a three-decade industry veteran, gives his thoughts on the week that was in golf for R.org. Matt Fitzpatrick’s playoff victory over Rory McIlroy in Dubai. Adam Schenk’s first PGA TOUR win in 243 attempts. Linn Grant became the first Swede to win The Annika. A week where seasons concluded, careers turned corners, and champions emerged under the brightest lights.

DP World Tour: Fitzpatrick Defeats McIlroy in Dubai Thriller

The Playoff That Crowned Two Champions

Matt Fitzpatrick secured his third DP World Tour Championship title in dramatic fashion on Sunday, defeating Rory McIlroy in a playoff at Jumeirah Golf Estates to cap the 2025 season. The Englishman’s victory came even as McIlroy claimed his seventh Race to Dubai crown, moving within one of Colin Montgomerie’s record of eight.

Fitzpatrick closed with a bogey-free 66 to set the clubhouse target at 18-under 270, then watched as McIlroy holed a 15-foot eagle putt on the 72nd hole to force extra holes. On the first playoff hole, McIlroy found water off the tee and made bogey while Fitzpatrick made par to secure the win.

“I struggled at the start of the year,” Fitzpatrick said. “To turn it around in the summer like I did and have a Ryder Cup like I did…the Ryder Cup in particular, I feel like it’s hard to top given everything.

“But the way that I played today, I feel like I really didn’t hit one bad shot all day. I’m so proud of myself and the effort that everyone puts in behind the scenes. Yeah, what a feeling. What a feeling.”

The victory was worth nearly $3 million and continued Fitzpatrick’s remarkable record at the Earth Course, where he also won in 2016 and 2020. It capped a resurgent season that saw him climb back into the world’s top 20 after a difficult start to the year.

McIlroy’s Banner Year Continues

For McIlroy, the consolation prize was substantial. His seventh Race to Dubai title moved him past Seve Ballesteros into sole possession of second place on the all-time list, trailing only Montgomerie.

“To be honest, to go past Seve in anything is very special,” McIlroy said. “He’s such an icon of European golf and Ryder Cup, and someone that I looked up to. Yeah, to go past him in the Race to Dubai standings and have one more than him, and for no one to sort of catch up or surpass him this year, yeah, it’s very cool.”

The Race to Dubai title punctuated a remarkable 2025 season for the Northern Irishman. He won the Masters in April for his fifth major championship, claimed THE PLAYERS Championship in March, defended his title at the Irish Open, and helped Europe retain the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black in September. The $2 million bonus for winning the season-long race pushed his earnings for the year past $20 million across both tours.

A Wild Final Round

Nine players led or shared the lead at some point during Sunday’s final round, creating the kind of chaos that makes for compelling television but nerve-wracking golf. Fitzpatrick’s bogey-free round was a masterclass in patience and precision, particularly given the stakes and the quality of the field chasing him.

McIlroy’s eagle on 18 was the shot of the day, a perfectly struck approach that gave him a chance to force the playoff. He rolled in the putt with the confidence of a player who has been in that position countless times before, setting up the extra holes that would ultimately go to Fitzpatrick.

Ten Players Earn PGA TOUR Cards

With the season’s conclusion, ten DP World Tour players earned their PGA TOUR cards for 2026 through the tour’s pathway system. Leading the way was Marco Penge, who finished second in the Race to Dubai standings after winning three times during the season — at the Hainan Classic, Danish Golf Championship, and Open de España.

“It’s been the year of my life,” Penge said. As the player who finished first on the qualifying list, he earned entry into THE PLAYERS Championship and two early Signature Events: the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and The Genesis Invitational.

The other nine players earning TOUR cards were Laurie Canter (36), Kristoffer Reitan (27), Adrien Saddier (33), Alex Noren (43), John Parry, Haotong Li, Keita Nakajima, Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen, and Jordan Smith.

Neergaard-Petersen’s story was particularly dramatic. The 2024 HotelPlanner Tour number one began the week outside looking in, but secured one of the ten cards with a joint third-place finish in Dubai. Smith, who had begun the week in possession of the last card, fought back brilliantly over the weekend to keep hold of it.

PGA TOUR: Schenk’s Long-Awaited Breakthrough in Bermuda

His 243rd Start

Adam Schenk finally won when he least expected it. The 33-year-old from Indiana had made 242 starts on the PGA TOUR without a victory, and entering the Butterfield Bermuda Championship, he was ranked No. 134 in the FedExCup standings, dangerously close to losing his full-time status.

“I’ve putted for PGA TOUR wins so many times in my barn…To see one go in is something I’ll never forget.” Schenk said.

Schenk shot a final-round 71 in brutal wind conditions to finish at 12-under 272, one stroke ahead of Chandler Phillips. The victory was worth $1,080,000 and comes with a two-year exemption on TOUR, transforming his status from bubble player to secure member through 2027.

The Final Hole Drama

The last par save was as difficult as any Schenk faced all week. After a good drive on 18, his approach went just over the green. He putted from just off the fringe to 5 feet and faced a putt that would either seal his first victory or potentially send him to a playoff.

“That wind out there, it blows the putter all over God’s creation,” Schenk said. “You’re just trying to make a good stroke and hope it goes in. I was fortunate that it did.”

Tournament officials moved tee times up by an hour Sunday morning to try to beat the worst of the wind, but conditions remained fierce throughout the final round. Schenk navigated the challenges with a combination of smart course management and clutch putting, particularly on the back nine, where he made several key par saves to maintain his lead.

The wind made every shot an adventure. On the par-3 16th, Schenk’s tee shot came up short, but he chipped beautifully to 3 feet for another save. On the 17th, he missed a 6-foot birdie attempt but tapped in for par to take a one-shot lead to the final hole.

“It was a grind,” Schenk said. “Every shot required total focus. When you finally hole that last putt and it’s over, it seems like the longest day ever.”

A Season Turned Around

This was not the kind of season Schenk envisioned when it began. He missed six consecutive cuts in one stretch and another six-cut drought later in the year. At various points, he questioned whether he still belonged at this level.

“Two sets of six missed cuts (in a row), I knew it was bad. I’ll go through and look at my results every once in a while. I’m like, ‘Wow, that was an impressively bad stretch of golf,'” Schenk said of his 2025 campaign.

The victory gives Schenk a two-year exemption on TOUR, spots in THE PLAYERS Championship and the PGA Championship, and financial security he’s never had in his career. More than that, it validates the years of work and the belief that he could compete at the highest level.

“It’s just such a difference when you can get some putts to go in and have a few things go your way. The tides just turn. The tides just keep going your way in a sense. And I had a lot of things go my way this week, and I feel like good putting is such a result of that.”

Phillips and the Bubble Race

The runner-up finish was a career-best for Phillips, who moved to No. 92 in the FedExCup standings and can breathe easier heading into the final event. Takumi Kanaya finished T3 and sits at No. 99, while Frankie Capan’s T3 moved him to No. 124, still needing a strong finish at the RSM Classic to secure his card for next season.

LPGA Tour: Grant Becomes First Swede to Win The ANNIKA

A Full Circle Moment

Linn Grant fired a 5-under 65 on Sunday to win The ANNIKA by three strokes over Jennifer Kupcho at Pelican Golf Club, becoming the first Swedish player to win the tournament named after her country’s greatest golfer.

“This is a full circle for me,” Grant said. “Annika has been such an inspiration, not just to me but to every Swedish golfer. To win a tournament with her name on it, in front of her, it’s something I’ll never forget. She’s meant so much to the game and to me personally.”

The victory was Grant’s second on the LPGA Tour and her first since winning the 2023 Dana Open. It also marked a homecoming of sorts, as Grant had previously won the 2022 Volvo Car Scandinavian Mixed, another tournament hosted by Sorenstam.

Grant’s win made her the 29th different winner on the LPGA Tour this season, continuing one of the tour’s most competitive years in recent memory.

The Final Round Battle

Grant led Kupcho by a stroke entering the final round and never relinquished the advantage, though Kupcho applied pressure throughout the day. Grant’s 65 featured six birdies against a single bogey, with her putter staying hot throughout the week.

The 26-year-old Swede played steady, mistake-free golf down the stretch, making key putts when she needed them and avoiding the big numbers that can derail a final round. Her two-stroke victory was comfortable enough to enjoy the walk up the 18th fairway, a moment she savored with Sorenstam watching.

Kupcho’s Consolation Prize

Kupcho didn’t get the tournament title, but she claimed something nearly as valuable: the $1 million Aon Risk Reward Challenge bonus for her season-long performance on designated holes. The bonus was based on scoring average on specific risk-reward holes throughout the season, and Kupcho’s aggressive play paid off with the seven-figure check.

The runner-up finish was still a strong result for Kupcho, who continues to establish herself as one of the tour’s most consistent players. Her season included multiple top-10 finishes and the kind of steady play that keeps her in contention week after week.

The Week Ahead

The golf season reaches its conclusion next week with the RSM Classic on the PGA TOUR and the CME Group Tour Championship on the LPGA Tour. Both events will crown the final champions of 2025 and determine the last players to secure their status for next season.

Check out “Playing Through” this Thursday morning, right here on R.org, for a preview of these two critical events.