Golf is a cruel game. Honestly, if you spent your Sunday watching the leaderboards across the globe, you saw exactly why even the best in the world probably wake up with night terrors about the 18th hole. Between a massive collapse in the desert and a windy grind in Hawaii, the first real "trophy Sunday" of 2026 was absolute chaos.
Basically, if you weren't glued to the coverage, you missed Nacho Elvira pulling off a heist in Dubai and Davis Riley trying to hold off a charging pack at Waialae. It wasn't just about who made the most birdies; it was about who survived the meltdowns.
Nacho Elvira’s Wild Ride in Dubai
Let’s talk about the Dubai Invitational first because, man, Shane Lowry is going to be thinking about that 18th hole for a long time. Heading into the final stretch, it looked like Lowry or Rory McIlroy would do what they usually do in the UAE—hoist a trophy.
Nacho Elvira started the day with a two-shot lead, but by the time they hit the back nine, the wheels were wobbling. He had a three-shot cushion at one point, lost it with back-to-back bogeys, and suddenly we had a five-way tie at the top. Rory went on a tear with five straight birdies, and Lowry was sitting pretty at 10-under as he walked toward the 18th tee.
Then, the wheels didn't just wobble; they fell off.
Lowry found a greenside bunker from the middle of the fairway. Then he hit it thin into the creek. A double-bogey 6 on the last hole is a gut-punch you don't recover from quickly. McIlroy wasn't much better, pushing his drive into the thick stuff and failing to save par.
While the titans were stumbling, Elvira stayed remarkably calm. He stuck a gorgeous approach on 17 to grab a one-shot lead and then played a boring, beautiful par on 18 to finish at 10-under. It’s his third DP World Tour title, and considering he beat two Ryder Cup legends to get it, it’s easily the biggest of his career. Daniel Hillier snuck into second place with a 65, while Rory and Shane ended up tied for third, wondering how they let that one slip.
Davis Riley and the Windy Grind at the Sony Open
Meanwhile, over in Honolulu, the Sony Open in Hawaii turned into a battle against the elements. If you’ve ever played golf in 25-mph gusts, you know it’s less about "pure strikes" and more about "gritty pars."
Davis Riley went into Sunday with a two-stroke lead at 12-under par. He’s 29 now, and honestly, he’s been due for a big breakout for a while. He birdied four of his last seven holes on Saturday to get that cushion, which was crucial because Waialae is the kind of course that can jump up and bite you the second you lose focus.
The chasing pack wasn't exactly making it easy. You had Harry Hall, Chris Gotterup, and Kevin Roy all breathing down his neck. Even the defending champ, Nick Taylor, was lurking despite a rough Saturday 70.
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What makes the Sony Open so interesting in 2026 is the context. This is the first official PGA Tour event of the season after The Sentry was cancelled due to the Maui drought. Everyone is a little rustier than usual, and it shows. Even Vijay Singh, at 62 years old, made the cut! Seeing a guy who dominated the tour twenty years ago still making weekend moves is sort of incredible.
What Most People Get Wrong About Early Season Golf
Most casual fans think these January tournaments are just "warm-ups." They aren't.
For guys like Davis Riley or Nacho Elvira, a win in January completely changes the math for the rest of the year. It secures their cards, gets them into the Masters (which is closer than you think), and provides a massive confidence boost.
In the Vic Open down in Australia, we saw Cameron John erase a five-shot deficit on Sunday to beat Nathan Barbieri in a playoff. Barbieri had led since Friday morning, but the pressure of closing out a tournament is a different beast entirely. John’s birdie on the 72nd hole to force the playoff, followed by a steady par to win it, proves that "Sunday Pressure" is the same whether you're playing for millions in Dubai or a bucket-list trophy in Victoria.
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Key Takeaways for Your Next Round
Watching these pros handle late-round meltdowns—like Lowry’s bunker-to-water disaster—is actually a great lesson for the rest of us.
- Avoid the "Thin" Miss: When you're under pressure in a bunker, the tendency is to pull up and hit it thin. Lowry did it, and it cost him the tournament. Stay down through the shot.
- Play the Wind, Don't Fight It: Davis Riley’s success in Hawaii came from hitting "hold" shots against the wind rather than trying to overpower it.
- Par is Your Friend: Elvira won because he made a "boring" par on 18 while everyone else was trying to be a hero and failing.
If you’re looking to track the official scores as the final groups finish up at the Sony Open, keep an eye on the PGA Tour’s live leaderboard. The wind isn't letting up, and at Waialae, a two-shot lead can disappear in a single hole.
Final Standings (Dubai Invitational):
- Nacho Elvira (-10)
- Daniel Hillier (-9)
T3. Rory McIlroy (-8)
T3. Shane Lowry (-8)
To get your own game ready for the season, start by practicing your "knock-down" shots. Being able to control your ball flight in the wind is the difference between a 75 and an 85 when the weather turns. Check your local course for a lesson on flighting the ball lower; it’s the most underrated skill in the bag.