Two years feels like forever when you're searching for a win. Matt Fitzpatrick knew that weight all too well. His last victory came in October 2023 at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. Then came the struggles. Eleven tournaments without a top-20 finish to start 2025. But last Sunday in Dubai changed everything.

Fitzpatrick fired a bogey-free 66 in the final round and outlasted Rory McIlroy in the playoff to claim his third DP World Tour Championship title in the most dramatic fashion. The Englishman played the final five holes at 3-under, rolling in a 25-footer at the 15th, and draining a six-footer at 18 to post 18-under.

Meanwhile, Rory McIlroy trailed by two with one hole remaining. The Northern Irishman stood in the 18th fairway, 234 yards from glory. Knowing he needed an eagle, McIlroy nailed his approach to 15 feet.

What Rory did next made the gallery go bonkers — see it for yourself.

Fitzpatrick watched the drama unfold from the scoring arena. Moments later, he met McIlroy outside. Back to the 18th tee, they went for the sudden-death playoff. McIlroy's drive found water. His par-save attempt from the greenside bunker died short.

Fitzpatrick pitched to two feet and rolled in the par-putt. With this, the Englishman now joined Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm in the exclusive three-time winners club. For McIlroy, the playoff loss stung; yet he'd already won something bigger: his seventh Race to Dubai title.

This moved him past Seve Ballesteros on the all-time list. Now McIlroy needs one more to match Collin Montgomerie at the top.

Audacious: Best shot of the year contender? You bet. Keita Nakajima pulled off an amazing recovery shot at the DP World Tour Championship. Crouched back. Bent knee. Horrible lie. And yet, the Japanese pro landed barely a few feet from the pin. Check out the best shot of the week month below.

First: Brooke Matthews had quite a week. Earned her spot in the LPGA season-finale. Made her first career ace. And was rewarded with a special prize. Can you guess what? Watch the hole-in-one and find out the answer here.

Howling: The weather was absolutely devilish at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship. How bad? Well, the flagsticks were almost flattened to the ground as you can watch (and HEAR) in this wild clip.

If you're looking for reasons to smile this week, we've got three stories that delivered pure joy across professional golf.

PGA Tour: Adam Schenk (12-under 272) finally broke through at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship, after 243 career starts. Other than his creeping self-doubt, he outduelled the violent 40 mph wind gusts. He had to putt one-handed multiple times. But the true gem was this ridiculous well… we don’t know whether to call it a stinger or a ‘grounder.’ Maybe you can help us settle the debate. Watch the strangest shot of the week here.

LPGA Tour: After all the hype around Caitlin Clark and Kai Trump quietened by Friday, Linn Grant started dominating The ANNIKA, cruising to a three-shot victory at 19-under 261. She played 52 consecutive holes without a bogey to claim her second LPGA title in front of her mentor and compatriot, Annika Sorenstam. Naturally, the emotions got the better of her, as you can see here.

PGA Tour Champions: Stewart Cink sealed both the tournament and season-long Charles Schwab Cup title with a bogey-free 67 yesterday. He has spent three decades on the Tour, but this was his first victory in front of his parents. Listen to what his mom had to say about that.

That wraps up the action from around the world. Now, let's dive into what's next on the Tour.

Your drive lands just off the fairway. Now it's buried somewhere in a pile of autumn leaves. Frustrating, right? But the rules give you options.

1. Leaves are loose impediments. Under Rule 15.1a, you can remove them anywhere on the course without penalty. But don’t move the ball.

2. Once you've located your ball, the situation changes. If the leaves are piled up and meant to be cleared, you can get a free relief. That’s considered ‘Ground Under Repair.’

3. But if these are natural fall leaves, poor luck. Unless the committee has determined that it will be considered as Ground Under Repair, you can’t get any free relief. Now, what happens if you face a similar situation inside a bunker? Well, it’s a bit tricky but beautifully explained in the video below.

The fine line between searching and finding makes all the difference. Get it right and you'll avoid unnecessary penalties. Better yet, ask your course if they've adopted Model Local Rule F-14. That's the actual "leaf rule" that treats piles as ground under repair.