Nacho Elvira what's in the bag 2026
By: Derek Clements | Edited: Tue 20 Jan 2026
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Shane Lowry's wait for a victory continues after he found the water on the 18th hole at the Dubai Invitational and lost to Spain’s Nacho Elvira.
Lowry was one shot ahead playing the final hole, but a wayward bunker shot flew past the flag and rolled into the lake on the far side of the green.
A hole behind, overnight leader Elvira made a birdie putt on the 17th to join Lowry on 10 under. And while Lowry had to settle for a double bogey on the final hole and dropped back to eight under, Elvira secured the par he needed to win the third title of his career.
Rory McIlroy will be left to rue finding the water four times during his second round. He battled back and was one of five players tied for the lead midway on the back nine, along with Elvira, Lowry, England's Marcus Armitage and New Zealand's Daniel Hillier, but the challengers fell away one by one.
A hole ahead of his Ryder Cup team-mate, McIlroy required a birdie to tie for the lead but he overhit from the same bunker and his chance slipped away.
McIlroy made a slow start but put himself in contention with five birdies in a row. That left him with a shot of winning, but a wayward tee shot on the 18th left him in deep rough and he could only find the bunker with his recovery, and that ended his hopes.
McIlroy said: "I was just trying to get the most out of what I had. I didn't have the greatest of starts and I wasn't really focused on winning, I was just trying to piece it together with good swing. It was still a good first week back and I learnt a lot about my game. I wasn't very sharp, but I'm hopefully I'm a bit sharper now going into next week."
He will now turn his attention to the Dubai Desert Classic, one of his favourite DP World Tour events.
Player Profile
Elvira was born in Santander on February 17, 1987.
He played on the Challenge Tour in 2012 and 2013, finishing 104th and then 14th. He won his first title in 2013 at The Foshan Open in China Tand finished 14th in the Order of Merit to gain a place on the 2014 World Tour.
After a mediocre season in which he finished 121st, he returned to the Challenge Tour for 2015, where he won three times to earn an immediate return to the main tour.
Since 2016 he has played on the DP World Tour. He lost a playoff at the 2016 Trphpee Hassan and three years later he lost in another sudden death playoff at the Maybank Championship. He had held the 54-hole lead but went to the last hole of regulation play, one stroke behind Scott Hend. During his approach to the 18th, a clap of thunder occurred during his backswing, resulting in him leaving a 30 foot putt for birdie. Play was then suspended for more than an hour, but Elvira came back to sink the birdie putt to force a playoff. He lost on the first extra hole, when Hend made an up and down from the bunker for birdie.
In July 2021, Elvira finally ended his playoff hoodoo when he beat Justin Harding to win the Cazoo Open.
In February 2024 he finished tied second at the Kenya Open. In May 2024 he won the Soudal Open.
His victory in Dubai was his third on the DP World Tour.
He has made 323 starts and 181 cuts on the DP World Tour. Apart from his victories, he has finished second six times, third three times and has enjoyed 17 other top-10 finishes, earning almost 7m euros. The victory takes him to fourth place in the Race to Dubai.
Last 10 Events
Dubai Invitational - 1st
Alfred Dunhill Championship - T46th
Nedbank Golf Challenge - T30th
DP World Tour Championship - T51st
Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship - T7th
Genesis Championship - T2nd
DP World India Championship - T56th
Open de Espana - T35th
Alfred Dunhill Links Championship - CUT
FedEx Open de France - T62nd
Key Stats
Driving Distance - 303.50 Yards
Driving Accuracy - 62.09%
Greens in Regulation - 62.63%
Sand Saves - 58.82%
Putts Per Round - 27.18
Scoring Average - 69.91
End of Year World Ranking Position
2019: 274
2020: 473
2021: 314
2022: 350
2023: 272
2024: 178
2025: 190
Current Ranking: 118th
What's In Nacho Elvira's Golf Bag
Driver: Callaway Quantum TD Max (8.5 Degrees)
Fairway Wood: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max (15 Degrees)
Utility Wood: Callaway Apex UW 26 (19 Degrees)
Utility Iron: Callaway X Forged UT 24
Irons: Callaway Apex TCB 24 (5 Iron), Callaway Apex MB 24 (6-9 Iron)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM10-WW Proto F 44, Titleist Vokey SM10 12F 50, Titleist Vokey SM10 10S 54, Titleist Vokey SM10-WW Proto K* 58
Putter: Odyssey Prototype
Golf Ball: Titleist Pro V1
About the author
Derek Clements is a seasoned sports journalist and regular Golfshake contributor, specialising in tour coverage, opinion pieces, and feature writing. With a long career in national newspapers and golf media, he has reported on the game across Europe, the United States and Australia. A passionate golfer, he has played and reviewed numerous renowned courses, with personal favourites including Pebble Beach, Kingsbarns, Aldeburgh, Old Thorns and the K Club. His love of the game informs his thoughtful commentary on both professional golf and the wider golfing community.
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Tags: WITB Tour Pro player profile in the bag
