McIlory ends year as Europe’s No. 1

Another year without a major was no less special for Rory McIlroy, who finished Sunday as Europe’s top-ranked golfer for the fourth time and became only the second player to capture season titles on the PGA Tour and European tour. Jon Rahm felt the same way. Rahm opened with three straight birdies on his way to a 5-under 67 to win the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai for the third time, by two shots over England’s Tyrrell Hatton and Sweden’s Alex Noren. Rahm also won the Mexican Open on the PGA Tour and the Spanish Open to go along with the European tour’s season finale that came with a $3 million prize. The 28-year-old former U.S. Open champion finished at 20-under 268. McIlroy, 33, now has gone eight years since his last major — he finished in the top 8 in all four majors this year — but won the FedEx Cup and its $18 million bonus, along with the Canadian Open and the CJ Cup. Along the way, he returned to No. 1 in the world. “My goal has been to just become a more complete golfer and I feel like I’m on the journey to doing that,” McIlroy said.