“Best year of my career” – Henrik Stenson crowned European No 1 in Dubai -

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Two years to the day after gaining his European Tour card, Matt Fitzpatrick won the DP World Tour Championship in dramatic fashion as Open champion Henrik Stenson clinched the Race to Dubai title.

Tyrrell Hatton looked set to claim his second victory in the space of seven weeks after holing a bunker shot for par on the 17th to preserve a one-shot lead at Jumeirah Golf Estates.

However, the 25-year-old then drove into the creek which runs the length of the par-five 18th and carded his only bogey of a closing 68 to open the door for Fitzpatrick in the group behind.

The 22-year-old from Sheffield needed par to force a play-off or a birdie to win, and duly got up and down from a greenside bunker for a 67 to claim the first prize of more than £1 million.

“It means the world,” the Ryder Cup player said after becoming the youngest Englishman to win three times on the European Tour, eclipsing the record of six-time major winner Nick Faldo.

South Africa’s Charl Schwartzel finished alone in third, with overnight leader Victor Dubuisson, Francesco Molinari, Soren Kjeldsen, Nicolas Colsaerts and Bernd Wiesberger tied fourth.

Stenson’s share of ninth was more than enough to make certain of ending the year as European number one, the Swede carding a closing 65 which was matched by playing partner and defending champion Rory McIlroy.

Masters champion Danny Willett, who started the week 299,675 points behind Stenson, tied for 50th in the 60-man field after a closing 70.

Sweden’s Alex Noren, who was the other player capable of ending the season on top of the money list, was joint 23rd.

“I’m very pleased to get my name on this trophy once again,” said Stenson, who was the first man to win the Race to Dubai and FedEx Cup in the same season in 2013.

McIlroy was left to rue an opening 75, his only over-par score in the tournament’s history, as he missed out on a fourth win of the season.

Willett had to settle for second in the money list for the second year running after struggling to rediscover top form following a winless Ryder Cup debut at Hazeltine.

“It’s a disappointing four-week stretch that I’ve just had, to end what still will be a pretty memorable year,” he said.

“The golf’s just not been good enough this last two months, maybe playing too much and trying to force the issue instead of just playing a limited amount and backing yourself to do well in the ones that you play in,” he said.

“I think the body and mind need a bit of a rest, and hopefully I can come out fresh around a golf course that I quite like at Hong Kong (next month) and then have a good four or five-week break over Christmas.”

Picture: Getty. Delighted winner Matt Fitzpatrick.