South Africa's Richard Sterne came within one shot of the 19-year-old course record at the Emirates Golf Club on Thursday to lead the Dubai Desert Classic with a brilliant opening-round 10-under par 62.

Rory McIlroy started 2012 as the crown prince of golf. He ended it as the undisputed king.

Four-time European title winner Branden Grace is the favourite to win the inaugural Nelson Mandela Championship when the first event in the 2013 European Tour season tees off in Durban.

Rory McIlroy has promised a repeat of his stunning 2012 after he finished the season with five birdies in a row to win his fifth title of the year and a $2.33 million pay-day in Dubai.

Rory McIlroy won the DP World Tour Championship in magnificent fashion in Dubai on Sunday when he birdied the last five holes to beat Justin Rose by two shots.

The European Tour's international schedule for 2013 will open in South Africa next month and take in 45 tournaments across the world culminating in a new-style "Final Series" of four big-money tournaments.

Rory McIlroy responded in magnificent fashion to Justin Rose's course record round of 10-under par 62 by making five birdies in his last five holes to win the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai on Sunday.

Rory McIlroy responded in magnificent fashion to Justin Rose's course record round of 10-under par 62 by making five birdies in his last five holes to win the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai on Sunday.

The world's top two ranked players Rory McIlroy and Luke Donald were involved in a three-way tie at the top of the leaderboard at the halfway stage of the $8million DP World Tour Championship on Friday.

All it took was 18 holes for the cream to rise to the top as world No.2 Luke Donald took a one-shot lead over world No.1 Rory McIlroy after the opening round of the $8million DP World Tour Championship on Thursday.

Luke Donald is eyeing victory at the World Tour Championship in Dubai after a comfortable win in Japan saw him leapfrog Tiger Woods into the number two spot in the world rankings.

The European Tour heads to its end-of-season finale in Dubai with the oldest winner in its history and an exhausted world number one hoping to rediscover his touch after failing to fire in Hong Kong.

Sweden's Henrik Stenson won the SA Open at the Serengeti Golf and Wildlife Estate Sunday to celebrate a psychological break-through in his first victory in over three years.

The Hong Kong Open will not be on the schedule for the European Tour next season for the first time since 2001, Tour chiefs confirmed, dealing a blow to one of Rory McIlroy's favourite events.

South African George Coetzee hit a course-record 63 at the Serengeti Golf and Wildlife Estate to end the third round of the SA Open in second place Saturday.

It was a Swedish affair at the SA Open at the 72-par Serengeti Golf and Wildlife Estate on Friday with Henrik Stenson leading as lightning interrupted play early.

World number one Rory McIlroy said he needed to rest and do some work on his putting after he crashed out of the $2 million UBS Hong Kong Open on Friday, failing to make the cut.

World number one Rory McIlroy said he needed to rest and do some work on his putting after he crashed out of the $2 million UBS Hong Kong Open on Friday, failing to make the cut.

Rory McIlroy's bid to become the first man in half a century to retain the $2 million UBS Hong Kong Open came to an embarrassing end Friday as the world number one crashed out with a double-bogey.

Rory McIlroy's bid to become the first man in half a century to retain the $2 million UBS Hong Kong Open came to an embarrassing end on Friday, the world number one crashing out with a double-bogey.