Elvira pounces on final-hole errors by McIlroy and Lowry to win Dubai Invitational

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Nacho Elvira benefitted from dramatic final-hole mishaps by Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry to win the Dubai Invitational by one shot on Sunday, securing his third title on the European tour.

The 190th-ranked Elvira did what the two Ryder Cup stars couldn’t and kept out of the trouble down No. 18, making a stress-free par and shooting 69 to finish on 10 under in the first tournament of 2026.

A few minutes earlier, Lowry had been on that number heading down the last but found the greenside bunker from his approach, then water across the green from the sand. He made a double-bogey 6 for a round of 69 and wound up two strokes back.

Before that, McIlroy arrived at the 18th tee a shot behind Lowry but pushed his drive way right into the rough, sent his approach into the bunker, and couldn’t get up and down. McIlroy and Lowry were tied for third place.

Daniel Hillier of New Zealand shot 65 and was alone in second place on 9 under.

“It means the world,” said Elvira, whose wife and children ran onto the green to celebrate with the 38-year-old Spaniard. “You tell me on Tuesday I would be winning this, I’d never believe you.

“Anything that happens after this, nothing can compare.”

Elvira started the final round in the lead and held a three-shot advantage on 11 under after making birdie at No. 7. Then came back-to-back bogeys from No. 8 before he saved par at the par-5 No. 10 after hitting into water off his second shot, keeping him in touch with Lowry, McIlroy and a crowd of challengers.

Around an hour before the finish, five players — Hillier, McIlroy, Lowry, Marcus Armitage and Elvira — shared the lead on 9 under before Lowry rolled in a 30-footer for birdie at No. 15 to take the solo lead. He couldn’t hang on.

Elvira said he had “no idea” about Lowry's meltdown on the 18th until after his second shot at the last.

“I knew I had two putts to win — I kind of felt more nervous, to be honest,” he said. “It’s a good position to be in but I was just a little bit nervous. But very happy.”

Lowry was seeking a first European tour title since September 2022 and a first win anywhere since capturing a team victory with close friend McIlroy at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans in April 2024.

McIlroy has won plenty since then — including the Masters last year to complete the career Grand Slam — and looked like starting 2026 with another victory after making five straight birdies from No. 9 to take a share of the lead.

He played the final five holes in 1 over, however.

“I wasn’t really focused on winning the tournament,” the No. 2-ranked McIlroy said. "I was just trying to piece it together and make some good swings and try to hit a few more fairways, which I did for the most part. Would have been nice to hit the fairway at the last to give myself a chance for birdie there.

“Overall it was a good first week back. I felt like I learned a lot of stuff about my game. I wasn’t very sharp, but hopefully I’m a little bit sharper going into next week than I was going into this week.”

The European tour isn't travelling far for its next event — about a half-hour drive up the coastline to the Dubai Desert Classic at Emirates Golf Club starting Thursday.

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Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland hits off the first tee during the final round of Dubai Invitational golf tournament in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Shane Lowry of Ireland hits off the first tee during the final round of Dubai Invitational golf tournament in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Shane Lowry of Ireland hits off the first tee during the final round of Dubai Invitational golf tournament in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Nacho Elvira of Spain hits off the first tee during the final round of Dubai Invitational golf tournament in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — It took 45 years to be in a position to set a record that has drawn so much attention. So another 14 1/2 minutes serving to keep her Australian Open hopes alive felt like no time at all for Venus Williams.

Ranked No. 576 and playing on a wild-card entry, the seven-time major winner led 4-0 in the third set Sunday before Olga Danilovic rallied to win six straight games — getting the vital break in the extra-long, next-to-last game — for a 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-4 victory.

“It was an amazing journey on the court today,” said Williams, who left the stadium with a smile and a wave.

Just by starting the first-round match, Williams became the oldest woman to compete in an Australian Open singles main draw, surpassing the mark set by Japan’s Kimiko Date, who was 44 when she lost in the first round in 2015.

“I’m really proud of my effort today because I’m playing better with each match, getting to the places that I want to get to,” Williams said. "Right now, I’m just going to have to keep going forward and working on myself and working to control my errors.

“Those are things, too, that come with playing extra matches ... all of those things that I’m still learning. It’s kind of weird, but it’s super exciting to have played that well and to get myself in that position and come very close.”

She was 17 when she first made her Australian Open debut in 1998, reaching the quarterfinals. This was her 22nd trip to Melbourne Park, where she lost finals to her sister, Serena, in 2003 and 2017.

Williams was married in December to Andrea Preti and the couple traveled together in Melbourne.

Williams was determined not just to break Date's age record. She wanted to punctuate the occasion with a win that may just set up another match against Coco Gauff.

After splitting the first two sets, Williams went on a roll and dropped just five points across four games, hitting some vintage winners. Then No. 68-ranked Danilovic found range with her big left-handed forehand returns and put Williams back under pressure.

“I told myself before the match I really want to take this moment — playing against Venus Williams is something I can’t take for granted,” Danilovic said. "At 4-0, I said ‘just play.’

“It was such a pleasure playing against such a legend.”

At 4-4 in the deciding set, Williams served for 14 minutes and 28 seconds, saving two break points and setting up game points of her own with powerful winners and clutch aces, before she finally succumbed.

“It was such a great game, such a great moment. The energy from the crowd was amazing. That lifted me up so much,” Williams said of that penultimate game on her serve. “She played a great game. Also, some luck there, as well. That’s just the sport. That’s how it works sometimes. But it was an amazing moment.”

Danilovic calmly served out, clinching it in 2 hours, 17 minutes when a Williams forehand clipped the net and landed just wide of the line on match point.

Williams entered the Australian Open on a five-match losing streak since the first and only win in her comeback to the tour at Washington last year. Her U.S. Open comeback last August also ended in the first round.

“Yeah, at 4-love I felt good. Also, it’s the biggest lead I’ve had since I’ve been back,” Williams said. “In a lot of ways I’m having to relearn how to do things again, if that makes any sense.”

She'll keep that process going in the doubles at Melbourne Park, then she'll think about her schedule for the rest of 2026.

“Right now I’m very much in the tournament,” she said. “My next focus is the doubles. So that’s where my head is.”

Olga Danilovic of Serbia plays a backhand return to Venus Williams of the U.S. during their first round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

Venus Williams of the U.S. plays a forehand return to Olga Danilovic of Serbia during their first round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

Spectators takes photos of Venus Williams of the U.S. as she walks onto court for her first round match against Olga Danilovic of Serbia at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

Venus Williams of the U.S. reacts during her first round match against Olga Danilovic of Serbia at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

Venus Williams of the U.S. serves to Olga Danilovic of Serbia during their first round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)