Andy Sullivan was taking the positives into the 2022 Race to Dubai after bringing the curtain down on his 2021 season with a blistering back nine of 29 in the final round of the AVIV Dubai Championship.
The Englishman finished in a tie for second at Jumeirah Golf Estates in 2020 and secured his best finish of 2021 over the Fire Course as a closing 65 handed him a tie for fourth.
After making six birdies in seven holes on days one and three in Dubai, he went even better on Sunday, rattling off five in a row from the 13th and then making a brilliant eagle on the par five last.
It looked for a while like that would secure him a place in the field at next week's season ending DP World Tour Championship, Dubai but when the dust settled he had missed out by one spot at 55th in the Race to Dubai Rankings in Partnership with Rolex.
Despite that disappointment however, the four time European Tour winner was taking the positives into next season and the new era of the DP World Tour.
“I sort of knew I needed a big finish to get into next week, so I started great but then it wasn’t going to plan and then when I was on 13 under par I relaxed and thought it wasn’t going to happen this week," he said.
This is how @andysulligolf signed out with a back nine 29 👏#AVIVDubaiChampionship pic.twitter.com/0kdnd3GES4
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) November 14, 2021
"Then I started to hit better shots, had great putts.
“It was amazing. It’s been such a poor year for me and to finish like that - if that’s my last nine of the year I’ll go into next season with loads of positives.
“I thought 17 was massive, I sort of had it in my head that I needed to get to 20 under ideally to have a chance, so when that went in on 17, it was a hell of a catch - it was like David Seaman dragged it in there for me, it was amazing.
“Then on the last I had to be as aggressive as possible to that flag without missing it left and I think it was the best I could have done. Then I thought I left the putt short, I’m not going to lie, didn’t think it was going to get there. But then it dropped in, which was amazing."
Tournament winner Joachim B. Hansen was the only player outside of the top 54 on the Race to Dubai Rankings in Partnership with Rolex at the start of week to force their way into next week's field, with Finn Mikko Korhonen dropping out.
