Nacho Elvira emerged victorious in the Dubai Invitational final against Shane Lowry, Rory McIlroy, and David Hillier. Marcel Siem finishes in the top 15.
Nacho Elvira won a gripping battle against top names to secure the first DP World Tour title of the year. The Spaniard had extended his lead to three strokes but made bogey, bogey at the end of the front nine and also hit the water hazard on the 10th hole. Although he saved par there, it opened the door for contenders like Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry, David Hillier, and Marcus Armitage, who were all tied for first place with just over half of the final round completed.
DP World Tour: Exciting Final Duel at Dubai Invitational
McIlroy surged into a share of the lead with five consecutive birdies but fell back with a bogey on the 18th hole. Shane Lowry broke from the pack and took sole possession of the lead with a monstrous putt on the 15th.
SHANE LOWRY TAKES THE LEAD ☘️#DubaiInvitational pic.twitter.com/2cr5rf5d0I
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) January 18, 2026
Elvira responded on the 17th hole and the tournament came down to a head-to-head on the 18th. There, the Spaniard showed steadier nerves with a solid par after missing the green. Lowry, however, landed his second shot in a bunker and then pushed the ball from there over the green into the water. He dropped a double bogey and fell to third place, a position he shares with McIlroy.
This victory marked Elvira’s third on the tour. His last win was at the Soudal Open in May 2024.
Marcel Siem performed strongly on the first final day of the year. A 66-round saw him climb to a tie for 13th, narrowly missing the top 10. He made nine birdies but also risked with four bogeys, often resulting from missed greens. At the 18th, Siem found himself awkwardly near a water hazard, incurring a penalty stroke and just missing a par-saving shot. Ultimately, he improved by 12 spots.
Nicolai von Dellingshausen seems to have found form after three moderate rounds as he finished his first tournament of 2026 with a 68 and three under par. After suffering at least one double bogey on the previous days, he largely avoided mistakes on Sunday, with just one bogey due to a three-putt on the fifth hole