Nacho Elvira triumphed over Shane Lowry, Rory McIlroy, and David Hillier in the final of the Dubai Invitational. Marcel Siem finished in the top 15.
Nacho Elvira won an intense battle against high-profile names to secure the first DP World Tour title of the year. The Spaniard had extended his lead to three shots but made bogey, bogey towards the end of the front nine and even hit water on the 10th hole. He managed to save par there, but it opened the door for contenders like Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry, David Hillier, and Marcus Armitage, who were all tied for the lead just past halfway through the final round.
DP World Tour: Thrilling Final Duel at Dubai Invitational
McIlroy, who had surged into a share of the lead with five consecutive birdies, fell back with a bogey on the 18th. Shane Lowry broke away from the pack and took the solo lead with a monster putt on the 15th.
SHANE LOWRY TAKES THE LEAD ☘️#DubaiInvitational pic.twitter.com/2cr5rf5d0I
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) January 18, 2026
Elvira caught up on the 17th, turning the tournament into a two-player duel heading to the 18th. There, the Spaniard showed stronger nerves with a solid par after missing the green. Lowry, however, found the bunker with his second shot and then sent the ball over the green and into the water. His double bogey dropped him to third place, tied with McIlroy.
This victory marked Elvira’s third on the tour, having last won the Soudal Open in May 2024.
Marcel Siem pushed hard on the first final day of the year, climbing to T13 with a 66-round and narrowly missing the top 10. He made nine birdies, extracting everything from himself but also risked four bogeys, often due to missed greens. On the 18th, Siem ended up so awkwardly near the water hazard that he had to drop with a penalty stroke and narrowly missed saving