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Nacho Elvira stumbles then soars to dramatic Dubai Invitational victory at the Creek
The 38-year-old Spaniard rallies after a mid-round wobble to outlast McIlroy, Lowry and Hillier for his third DP World Tour title
- PUBLISHED: Sun 18 Jan 2026, 7:18 PM
- By:
- Nick Tarratt, Guest Golf Writer
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On a dramatic Sunday at the Dubai Creek Resort, Spain’s Nacho Elvira appeared to let victory slip through his fingers before showing remarkable resolve to outlast a star-studded chasing pack and claim victory in the 2026 Dubai Invitational.
The Spaniard emerged from a chaotic final round with his third DP World Tour title, navigating a roller-coaster day in which no fewer than five players shared the lead as the leaderboard twisted and turned until the final green.
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At one stage, Elvira, the overnight leader, looked in complete control early. Three birdies in his opening seven holes propelled him into a commanding three-shot lead. But the Dubai Creek had other ideas. Back-to-back bogeys to close his front nine brought the star-studded field roaring back into contention, with Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry, Daniel Hillier, and Marcus Armitage all joining Elvira at nine under par as the tension soared down the stretch.
Lowry, the 2019 Open Championship at Royal Portrush, briefly seized momentum with a birdie at the par-4 15th, only to suffer a crushing double bogey at the last hole that abruptly ended his title charge. Meanwhile, New Zealand’s Hillier posted the clubhouse target at nine under after a superb closing 65, leaving Elvira needing something special late on. And he delivered.
Birdie seals exciting victory
A nerveless birdie at the par-3 17th, his first of the back nine, gave the Spaniard, who is well-known for his calm temperament and strong ball-striking, a precious one-shot cushion approaching the final hole. Moments later, the 38-year-old Alvira calmly rolled in a closing par to seal a hard-earned victory at ten under par, signing for a final-round 69.
Behind him, Dubai-based Frenchman Julien Guerrier rebounded brilliantly from an early double bogey with seven birdies to finish tied third at eight under alongside Spain’s David Puig, McIlroy and Lowry. Armitage’s double bogey at the last dropped him into a share of ninth at six under with Matt Wallace and Thorbjørn Olesen, while Antoine Rozner and South Africans Thriston Lawrence and Dylan Frittelli rounded out the top ten.
Speaking afterwards, Elvira admitted the win felt different.
“It feels unusual,” he said. “I’ve always been a slow starter at the beginning of the season, so to win this early is strange, but I love it. I fell in love with this course when we played here two years ago. It’s a fantastic venue, and I couldn’t be happier.”
Reflecting on the turning point, Elvira added, “In the past, I’ve tried to hold on and protect the score. This time I wanted to keep pushing because I knew Shane and Rory were behind me. I lost my way a bit on eight and nine and hit a terrible shot on ten, but making that putt was huge mentally. From there, I stayed patient.”
The closing hole brought its own nerves. “I had no idea Shane had doubled the last,” he revealed. “The leaderboards face the other way. When I realised I had two putts to win, I actually felt more nervous, but it’s a good position to be in.”
The win marks Elvira’s third DP World Tour title and his first since the 2024 Soudal Open, coming one year and 237 days later. He now vaults from 72nd to fourth in the 2025–26 Race to Dubai standings with 633.9 points and leads the International Swing after the opening event.
Conditions were markedly tougher than when the tournament last visited Dubai Creek two years ago, when Tommy Fleetwood won at 19 under par. Strong winds, especially on Friday, combined with deeper, more punishing rough, meant that driving accuracy became crucial. Players who found the fairways had a much better chance of reaching the firm, fast greens in regulation, while wayward tee shots were often punished, making scoring extremely challenging.
Elvira does not plan to rest on his laurels. Already, he’s focused on riding the momentum.
“I’m going to keep playing over the next few weeks and try to build on this,” he said. “Hopefully, we can put ourselves in more situations like this throughout the year.”
The DP World Tour now moves to the $9 million HERO Dubai Desert Classic, which begins on Thursday, January 22, at the iconic Emirates Golf Club’s Majlis Course.
For more information, visit DPWorldTour.com.
Final Scores (Par 71)
1. Nacho Elvira (Spain) – 69, 68, 68, 69 – 274
2. Daniel Hillier (New Zealand) – 69, 72, 69, 65 – 275
T3. Shane Lowry (Ireland) – 69, 68, 70, 69 – 276
T3. David Puig (Spain) – 67, 72, 70, 67 – 276
T3. Julien Guerrier (France) – 68, 76, 66, 66 – 276
T3. Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland) – 66, 74, 68, 68 – 276