Francesco Molinari finished the day with a 71 to sit T22 at 6 under and was crowned Europe’s Number One at the conclusion of the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai.

The 35-year old Italian won his maiden major title in July at The Open, following a Rolex Series victory at the BMW PGA Championship.

Those wins, coupled with consistency throughout the year, meant that only a victory by defending champion Tommy Fleetwood could deny Molinari the Race to Dubai title.

A closing 68 by the Englishman left him at 10 under, well off the pace of winner Danny Willett, giving Molinari the season-long points title.

“It’s incredible,” said Molinari. “Now I’m going to have time to sit down and relax and really think back about the last few months.

“This morning on the first tee the announcement is the winner of The Open Championship, Race to Dubai leader, it doesn’t sound real at the moment.

“It’s more than I ever dreamed of achieving. I’ve seen guys that I think are better players than me not winning Majors and not winning Order of Merits or Race to Dubais. To achieve those things in one single season is just incredible.

“We’ve been doing very well this year when it comes to the challenges. I never won a Ryder Cup match and I won five out of five. Carnoustie was really not my favorite place, to say the least, before this year, and I go there and win.

“It’s tough in a way because it would have been probably easier in a way to play against anyone else but him (Fleetwood). I know how talented he is and I really thought at some point he was going to win it and put me in a tough spot.

“He’s obviously a great guy and a super talented player and I’m sure being younger than me, he’s going to win a few more Race to Dubais.”