Hatton holds nerve to clinch 'dream' Dubai title from Hillier
At the Majlis course of Emirates Golf Club, the 33-year-old Englishman holed a nerve-racking five-footer par putt on the 18th to stay one ahead of overnight leader New Zealand's Daniel Hillier (71), who had closed the gap to one shot with a birdie of his own on the par-5 finishing hole.
Despite starting the day with a bogey, Hatton closed with a solid three-under-par 69 for a 15-under-par total. His fifth Rolex Series win ties him with his LIV Golf captain Jon Rahm for the most wins in the DP World-backed European Tour’s version of elevated events.
England's Laurie Canter (68) was in sole third at 13-under.
McIlroy shot a 66, with five birdies on the back nine, to get up to tied fourth place alongside Danish sensation Niklas Norgaard (66).
Hatton, who is playing on the DP World Tour because he has appealed against his fines (for playing on LIV Golf) and has not resigned from his membership, is expected to rise from 17 to eighth in the world golf rankings when it is updated on Monday.
He started the day one shot behind Hillier, and moved ahead decisively on the fifth hole when he made a birdie, while the Kiwi duffed his chip for a bogey.
Three-time Ryder Cup star Hatton had an anxious moment on the par-3 seventh hole, where his tee shot stopped perilously close to the water, but he went on to make a par three.
"I'm not going to lie, I was pretty nervous on the back nine, to be honest. I guess I just maybe wanted it a bit too much. I knew the position I was in, and a little bit scruffy down the last. But to see that putt go in, felt amazing," said Hatton.
'Bodes well'
"I said earlier in the week, this is one of the events that you would like to have on your CV. It's such an iconic event for the DP World Tour. To add my name to the list of the amazing champions that have been before me, it's a dream come true."
Hatton was recording his second win in four starts following his Alfred Dunhill Links Championship triumph last October.
McIlroy said he was delighted with the way he played over the weekend in his first start of the year.
"I probably just left myself a bit too much to do after three days. I had chances, and I was burning the edges," said McIlroy.
"Felt like I putted pretty well without anything going in and then today, didn't really feel like I played that differently the way I played the last few days.
"I just holed a couple of putts and made a couple of good ups-and-down when I had to. I feel like I got progressively better as the week went on, which bodes well for obviously the next few weeks."
Despite missing out on the title this was still a 12th straight top-10 finish in the tournament for the Northern Irishman.
The last time he did not crack the top-10 was way back in 2008 when he missed the cut.
Japan's Keita Nakajima made the first albatross of the season when he holed his second shot from 244 yards on the par-5 18th. It catapulted him to a share of 21st place.