McIlroy entered the final day with a one-shot lead and made a strong start, extending his advantage to four strokes with birdies on the opening two holes. As his nearest competitor, Matteo Manassero, struggled with back-to-back bogeys early on, it seemed McIlroy was in control. However, the drama unfolded as McIlroy missed several key chances, including a missed par putt from seven feet on the 7th hole, while Hojgaard mounted a late charge two groups ahead.

Hojgaard had been level par for the day until he birdied the 9th, then chipped in on the par-three 10th to gain further momentum. His progress was briefly halted by a bogey on the 13th, but he responded immediately with birdies on the 14th and 16th. The breakthrough came at the 17th, where Hojgaard holed out from the bunker for another birdie, moving him into the outright lead for the first time. He capped off a superb round by making a two-putt birdie on the 18th to set the clubhouse target at nine under par.

McIlroy, meanwhile, was finding it difficult to build on his early lead. He missed further birdie opportunities, and a bogey on the 15th opened the door for Hojgaard. McIlroy recovered with a birdie on the 16th, keeping him in the hunt, but disaster struck on the 17th as he three-putted for a bogey, dropping two shots behind the Dane.

Needing an eagle on the par-five 18th to force a play-off, McIlroy hit a stunning approach from 191 yards to within 10 feet of the hole. However, his eagle putt came up just short, and he had to settle for a birdie, finishing with a round of 69 and one shot behind Hojgaard’s winning score of 65.

Matteo Manassero, who had briefly closed the gap to McIlroy earlier in the round, finished two strokes back in third place. England’s Daniel Brown also made a charge, with three birdies in four holes from the 9th, but ultimately finished outside the top three. Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre and Grant Forrest shared fifth place after strong finishes to their respective tournaments.

Hojgaard’s victory at Royal County Down is his fifth DP World Tour win and a major boost to his confidence heading into the latter part of the season. The Dane’s ability to finish strongly with birdies on three of the last four holes ultimately secured him the title, while McIlroy, despite leading for most of the tournament, was left to rue missed opportunities, particularly the costly bogey on the 17th.

The DP World Tour now heads to Wentworth for the BMW PGA Championship, where McIlroy will look to bounce back. He will join a strong field that includes defending champion Ryan Fox, as they compete in one of the premier events on the European golfing calendar.

Amgen Irish Open 2024 – Final Leaderboard

1. Rasmus Hojgaard - 9 under (65)
2. Rory McIlroy - 8 under (69)
3. Matteo Manassero - 7 under
4. Daniel Brown - 6 under
5. Robert MacIntyre - 5 under
5. Grant Forrest - 5 under