DUBAI INVITATIONAL

January 18, 2026

Nacho Elvira

Dubai Creek Resort

Quick Quotes

Q. Many, many congratulations, Dubai Invitational champion 2026 on such a dramatic afternoon. What does it mean to you to come out on top?

NACHO ELVIRA: It means the world. If you told me on Tuesday, like I said all week, that I'm going to be winning this, I would never have believed you. It's a dream come true, especially having family here. I always dream with my kids walking up to me with a win, and this is just -- anything that happens after this is nothing but opportunities.

Q. You started the day two shots clear and played beautifully for the first seven or eight holes, and got three shots clear and then bogeyed 8, bogeyed 9, hit a pretty poor shot into 10 into the water and made an incredible par. How big was that par putt?

NACHO ELVIRA: I blame this on my caddie -- it was all his fault (laughter) I knew at some point, it's going to become difficult, especially with the great players that were playing just in front of me and I just managed somehow to make a putt on 10, managed somehow to make a putt on 11.

I calmed down a little bit after this and tried to stay patient. I knew I was going to fight and I was very lucky to make a birdie on 17.

Q. Five-way tie on the back nine, including Rory McIlroy, who is makes an incredible charge with five birdies in a row and Shane Lowry playing beautifully ahead of you. What is going through your mind emotionally and physically knowing all that was going on behind you?

NACHO ELVIRA: To be honest, I wasn't nervous until the very last putt, the one-footer I had for the win. I knew what I had to do. I needed to be patient. I felt like off the tee I was playing really well. There are a couple tee shots here that are difficult to me, to everybody, but especially to me because I didn't feel my swing was a hundred percent this week. I managed to battle through those and I was able to take advantage of the ones that did go this week.

Q. Does this feel like a platform that you can build on?

NACHO ELVIRA: Definitely it's going to help a lot. It's going to help a lot to plan the year, for the first time maybe in 13 years, to be a little bit ahead of a head start and build on that. I think there's so many positives from this week, and I mean, I couldn't be more happy.

Q. How will you celebrate with the family?

NACHO ELVIRA: Perhaps a very early dinner, put the children to bed quick. This is a dream come true, to have my wife and my kids here. It's something I've dreamed of a lot of times and I cannot believe this happened.