Dubai Invitational: Drama as Shane Lowry loses title to Nacho Elvira

Shane Lowry found the water on the 18th hole to lose his Dubai Invitational Championship title to Nacho Elvira in a thrilling final round.

Lowry held a one-shot lead heading into the final hole, but an errant shot flew over the flag and rolled into the lake on the other side of the green.

A gap back, overnight leader Elvira made a birdie putt on the 17th to join Lowry at 10 under as the Irishman toiled.

While Lowry had to settle for a double bogey on the final hole and dropped to eighth under, Elvira secured the form he needed to win the third title of his career.

Rory McIlroy was one of five players involved in the tie in the middle of the back nine, along with Elvira, Lowry, Englishman Marcus Armitage and New Zealander Daniel Hillier, but the opponents fell one by one.

A hole ahead of his Ryder Cup teammate, McIlroy called for a birdie to tie the lead but, in a sign of Lowry’s fate, he hit from the same bunker and his chance was gone.

For Masters champion McIlroy, he was left to rue a slow start but quickly put himself in contention with five birdies in a row.

This left him with a chance to win, but a wayward shot on the 18th left him in a very difficult position and he was unable to find the bunker until after he recovered, and this ended his hopes.

“I was just trying to make the most of what I had. I didn’t have the best of starts and I wasn’t really focused on winning, I was just trying to put it together with good swings,” McIlroy told Sky Sports.

“The first week was still good and I learned a lot about my game. I wasn’t very smart, but I hope I’ll be clearer now going into next week.”

McIlroy’s death left a shootout between Lowry, who moved into the individual lead by 10 under with a birdie on the 13th, and Elvira, who took the lead but fell back into the group after back-to-back bogeys on the eighth and ninth.

However, a brilliant recovery from Elvira on the 10th, when she equalized despite taking a drop to find the water, saw her come back and hold her nerve for the win.

“This means the world. If you had told me on Tuesday that I would win this title, I would never have believed you,” the 38-year-old told Sky Sports.

“It’s a dream come true, especially having my family here. Whatever happens now won’t come close to that.”