McIlroy surpasses Seve to become a beacon for Europe

Rory McIlroy may never possess the sheer charisma of Seve Ballesteros but he admitted it felt “absolutely incredible” to overtake the man he described as “a beacon” for European golf by capturing his seventh Harry Vardon Trophy in Dubai.

Ballesteros was the man who inspired McIlroy’s father Gerry to take up the game and while he admitted they never really  got to meet or spend time together, the Spanish maestro would surely have enjoyed the way the Holywood star achieved his seventh year-long title.

He didn’t win his fourth DP World Tour Championship but despite losing to Matt Fitzpatrick’s par at the first hole of a playoff, the eagle three he made at the 72nd hole to shoot 67 —a 235 yard five wood to 15 feet — to match his Ryder Cup teammate on 18-under par would surely have drawn a nod of approval from the swashbuckling Spaniard.

As Fitzpatrick, 66 yesterday, celebrated his third DP World Tour Championship, McIlroy reflected on a banner year that brought him Masters glory and golfing immortality as the first European and only the sixth man in history to complete the career Grand Slam.

And yet it was only when Ballesteros was mentioned that his voice cracked with emotion and the magnitude of what he had achieved truly struck home.

“I think it's just how much he means to European golf, how much he means to any player that's played in a Ryder Cup team,” he reflected afterwards. “I think Seve's spirit lives on in the European Tour and in the European Ryder Cup team, and he was always my dad's favourite player.

“He's a beacon of what European golf stands for, and I just think about growing up and playing golf and my dad being such a big part of it, and then, his connection with Seve, who was the one that really inspired him to play golf. And then, I don't know, it's just a parallel to that.

“When I hear Seve, it just sort of brings me back through my whole journey in the game, and yeah, it's quite emotional.”

McIlroy spoke before the round with Ballesteros’ wife Carmen, who told him “how proud” Seve would have been of him.

“To equal him last year was cool but to surpass him this year, yeah, I didn't get this far in my dreams, so it's very cool,” McIlroy said.

He’s now just one shy of matching Colin Montgomerie’s record haul of eight Harry Vardon Trophy wins.

“I want it, of course I do. I caught up with Monty this week when he was here a couple days ago and I saw him. Look, it seems within touching distance now. I'd love to be the winningest European in terms of Order of Merits and season-long races. You know, I've probably got a few more good years left in me, and hopefully I can catch him and surpass him.”

But it’s clear he’s already a beacon for a new generation of European stars, such as his final round playing partner, Rasmus Neergaard-Pettersen, not to mention Race to Dubai runner up Marco Penge, Brandon Robinson-Thompson and Daniel Hillier, who were paired with him over the first three days.

The Dane Neergaard-Pettersen emerged from the HotelPlanner Tour to make the last group and came within a whisker of forcing a playoff as he played his last five holes in five under to  tie for third with Ludvig Aberg,  Laurie Canter and Tommy Fleetwood.

At a time when Irish golf’s presence on the DP  World Tour is diminishing, that should be inspirational for the likes of Liam Nolan, Conor Purcell and Max Kennedy,  as well as Mark Power, James Sugrue, Ronan Mullarney and others who will join them on the second tier tour next season.

Tom McKibbin, who finish 16th after a  closing 67, earned his break by graduating from the HotelPlanner Tour and McIlroy see that meritocracy as a strength for European at a time when “the world of professional golf is still a little weird”.

“That upward mobility and meritocracy is very important, and the four guys (Marco Penge, Brandon Robinson-Thompson, Daniel Hillier) that I played with this week are a testament that that's the case,” he said.

As for Shane Lowry, he saved the best for last when he holed a monster 66-footer for eagle at the 18th for a 69 to finish joint 11th (€117,153.28)  on 13 under and put an exclamation point on a season that he will never forget for the putt he holed at Bethpage Black to help Europe win the Ryder Cup.