The Associated Press Rory McIlroy reacts after a birdie on Sunday.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Rory McIlroy’s banner year in golf ended with fitting drama Sunday when he eagled the last hole in regulation to force a playoff but lost out to Matt Fitzpatrick, who won the season-closing World Tour Championship for a third time.

The consolation for McIlroy? A fourth straight Race to Dubai title — crowning him as the year’s No. 1 player on the European tour — to add to his wins at the Masters to complete the career Grand Slam, The Players Championship and his home Irish Open. McIlroy also helped Team Europe win an away Ryder Cup.

All of his big individual victories came in playoffs but a final one proved just beyond the Northern Irishman, though, after he hit his drive into a creek on the first playoff hole — No. 18 — and made bogey. Fitzpatrick chipped to 3 feet and rolled in a par putt to win the title again at Jumeirah Golf Estates, after 2016 and 2020.

“You never like to see the way it ends, but obviously delighted,” Fitzpatrick said after sealing his first win in two years.

McIlroy generated the biggest roar of the day when he poured in a 15-footer for eagle on No. 18 to complete a round of 5-under 67 and join Fitzpatrick (66) on 18-under par for the week. He also eagled the last at the Irish Open in September to force a playoff before going on to beat Sweden’s Joakim Lagergren at The K Club.

“In typical Rory fashion, he did it again,” said Fitzpatrick, who watched it unfold while sitting in the scorer’s hut. He met McIlroy outside, shaking his hand and giving his Ryder Cup teammate a hug.

They did so again after the playoff — which finished with both of them as winners.

Schenk on top

SOUTHHAMPTON, Bermuda — Adam Schenk closed with an even-par 71 in raging wind to hold on for a one-shot victory in the Butterfield Bermuda Championship, his first PGA Tour title in 243 tries.

Schenk was two tournaments away from having to return to Q-school at No. 134 in the FedEx Cup. And then he handled some of the toughest conditions he ever faced, making one birdie and four crucial par saves in gusts that topped 30 mph.

His final par save came on the 18th when he made a 5-foot putt to finish one ahead of Chandler Phillips (71). Phillips was at No. 139, and his runner-up finish — the best of his PGA Tour career — moved him to No. 92 and should make him safe for a card.

Elsewhere:

n Linn Grant of Sweden had so much control of her game that she played 52 holes without a bogey, a streak that ended on the final hole when it no longer mattered. She closed with a 5-under 65 for a three shot victory in The Annika.

n Stewart Cink won the PGA Tour Champions’ season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship at Phoenix Country Club to take the Charles Schwab Cup season points title. Cink closed with a 4-under 67 to finish at 20-under 264.