Tied for the lead with three holes left in an exhausting season for Rory McIlroy, he launched a pitching wedge toward the 16th green in Dubai and barked out desperate instructions.“Go! Go! Go!” he urged the golf ball as it descended over the water.It dropped in front of the flag, a foot from the hole, a shot that carried him to another victory in the season-ending DP World Tour Championship, his fourth win of the year, and a sixth title as No. 1 on the European tour.By all accounts, it was a great year.But it’s different when those trophies — and a big one that was missing — belong to McIlroy.“I’m going to look back on 2024 and I’m going to have four wins,” he said.Two were in Dubai, at the start and finish of the year. One was at Quail Hollow for the fourth time. The other was the most fun — the Zurich Classic with close friend Shane Lowry, followed by McIlroy belting out Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” at a post-tournament party.“But I know that my 2024 is going to be defined — at least by others — by the tournaments that I didn’t win as much as the tournaments I did,” he said.Such are the expectations for McIlroy. He has to come to accept them, or he wouldn’t have brought that up without any prompting. This is what happens with greatness. And this is a level of play that remarkably doesn’t get enough credit.Yes, he was tops in Europe for the third consecutive time, and …
