- Rory McIlroy was leading the $2.9 million DP World Tour Championship with five holes to go Sunday.
- McIlroy dropped three shots to finish the tournament in sixth, winning $225,000.
- So frustrated was the golf star that he tore his own shirt while still wearing it.
Rory McIlroy's capitulation with five holes to go at the DP World Tour Championship cost him almost $2.7 million in prize money.
The Northern Irishman, who last won a major in 2014, led going into the final day of the European Tour's final tournament of the season, and was one shot clear with just five holes left to play on Sunday.
A disastrous run of poor shots and bad luck from McIlroy from the 14th hole onwards, however, saw him drop from the lead into a tie for sixth place at the end of the day.
McIlroy, who won at the CJ Cup in South Korea in his last outing, looked set for back to back wins after two-thirds of Sunday's round, but things started to go wrong when a heavy chip on 14 cost him the chance of a birdie.
A birdie would have taken him to 16-under-par, one shot ahead of eventual winner Collin Morikawa at that stage. As it was, McIlroy parred 14, while Morikawa bagged a birdie on 14.
His luck deteriorated on the 15th. After a seemingly perfect approach shot, his ball pinged off the flag and into a bunker. He would go on to make a bogey to drop out of the lead on 14-under.
—DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) November 21, 2021
On 16 his luck didn't improve, three-putting to card another bogey. After a par on 17, McIlroy bogied again on his final hole to finish 12-under, five off Morikawa.
Morikawa's win, however, didn't just come because of McIlroy's poor finish. The American birdied five of his final seven holes to finish 17-under-par.
After the round, McIlroy was so annoyed with his performance that he ripped the front of his shirt. He was later pictured still wearing the torn garment in the clubhouse.
—Rex Hoggard (@RexHoggardGC) November 21, 2021
To add insult to the injury of a poor closing five holes, the performance cost McIlroy close to $2.4 million in prize money.
For winning, Morikawa received 2.6 million euros ($2.9 million), while McIllroy was awarded 199,000 euros ($225,000) for his tied sixth-placed finish alongside Ian Poulter and Dean Burmester.