'Everything's worked out the way it was supposed to'

Twenty-seven tournaments played, four of them won; four runner-up finishes and four more ending in the top five. As Rory McIlroy says, "it's been quite the year".

It has been spent with his name prominent on back pages and for an uncomfortable spell occupying gossip columns as well. The highs have been high, the lows were lower.

It is little wonder that the Northern Irishman readily admitted that 2024 has been the most draining of his career. "Absolutely," he agreed in the wake of his DP World Tour Championship and Race to Dubai triumphs on Sunday.

"But you know, I'm super happy with where I am in my career and in my life," the 35-year-old said after wife Erica - who he reconciled with in June after filing for divorce in May - and daughter Poppy witnessed him lift both trophies. "And I feel like everything's worked out the way it was supposed to."

McIlroy’s tumultuous 2024 has ended on the best possible note with a victory that should serve him well in his ongoing quest to end a decade-long barren run in the majors.

As he acknowledged almost unprompted last week, he should already have a fifth major crown to his name. Defeat by Bryson DeChambeau after leading June's US Open by two shots with five holes to play at Pinehurst still stings.

Before Sunday McIlroy had not won since May. The Irish Open had slipped from his hands - to his closest rival in Dubai last week, Rasmus Hojgaard - and a potentially winning position at Wentworth was also squandered.

Yet, by a mile, he spent this season proving he is the best player the DP World Tour has to offer. That sixth Race to Dubai crown was a formality with the Holywood golfer teeing off in the final pairing on all four days.

But confirming his status with a win was crucial. "I would have been miserable for a few weeks if I had not won," McIlroy admitted. "It would have just added to the list of ones that I felt I let get away.

Talking to BBC Sport he added: "It means a tremendous amount. To get a win, I haven't won since May; had a lot of close calls, second-placed finishes, to finally get over the line felt really good."

McIlroy might have run away with the title but suffered a mid-round sticky spell that left the door ajar for Rasmus, who was trying to emulate twin brother Nicolai's triumph of 12 months ago.

The fact that McIlroy emerged from a dogfight made it all the more satisfying for the world number three.

The season finale is no major, but given the near misses of this year, was he feeling the kind of pressure that equates one of the big four events that define careers?

"A little bit," he conceded. "There was probably a lot of self-inflicted pressure. I really wanted to get it done. I love to end the year on a positive note.

"I was maybe feeling a little more pressure than I should have. But it was nice to be able to handle it in a decent way."

And his legion of fans will certainly gain encouragement from the way that McIlroy closed out the tournament.

A 138-yard wedge to tap-in range at the 16th, a towering six-iron to the dangerous par-three 17th and two lusty blows on the closing par-five helped him record two birdies in his final three holes.

"I'll remember a lot about this week but what I'll particularly remember will be those last three holes," he told me.

"Shot of the week was on 17, the six-iron I hit in there. That was probably the most nervous I was over a shot."

It offers validation for the technical work that went on in the build-up to the final fortnight of his season here in the Middle East. McIlroy is striving for a technique that will not buckle when he most needs it to sustain.

There are echoes here of Sir Nick Faldo, who famously revamped his swing before winning six majors to create the European benchmark McIlroy would love to hunt down.

By comparison, the four-times major-winning Ulsterman is merely tinkering with his action to improve its reliability. He admits there is still room for improvement, but the early signs are encouraging with this gutsy victory.

"To be thinking about a couple of little swing thoughts, when you are under the gun, it takes your mind away from the result," McIlroy said. "You’re really focused just on your process and I think that helped as well."

He remains an incredible and driven talent. He is held to the highest standards - internally and externally - and shows no sign of easing up in his quest for the most productive career he can possibly achieve.

"I know how people are going to view my year and I view my year similarly, but at the same time, I still have to remember I won four times and I won a second Race to Dubai.

"I accumulated a lot of big finishes and big performances, and the two guys that had better years than me have had career years. Xander (Schauffele) won two majors, and Scottie (Scheffler) has won a Players and a Masters and an Olympic gold medal.

"They are the only two guys this year that I think have had better years than me."

McIlroy believes Sunday’s win can prove a springboard for 2025 and although his competitive year is over there will be a lot of golf to be played before he renews his quest for a first Masters Green Jacket in April.

Moving alongside the great Seve Ballesteros prompted tears of satisfaction, but for as long as there is a season-long race on the European tour, he will threaten Colin Montgomerie’s record of eight.

The end of his career seems "a very long way away" he said. Ambition remains undimmed for one of the most decorated athletes to still be regarded as an enigma. "I just want to be the best golfer that I can be," he said.

"It's got me pretty far. So it seems like a recipe that I should keep going with."