Aaron Rai Wins the Abu Dhabi Title in Dramatic Playoff Battle Against Tommy Fleetwood
The 30-year-old golfer displayed exceptional nerve to claim the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship on Sunday, defeating his compatriot in a dramatic play-off following a rollercoaster last day of play.
Rai nailed a decisive birdie putt from around eight feet to clinch the win, echoing his sole prior tournament triumph at the Scottish Open in 2020, which was also a playoff win against the same opponent.
Sunday's Play Drama
Rai started the final round with a single stroke advantage over countryman Tommy Fleetwood and Danish golfer Nicolai Højgaard. He finished with a overall score of 263 after a topsy-turvy, 67 final round that featured seven birdie putts and two bogeys.
Fleetwood edged a stroke ahead with two holes remaining after a birdie putt on the 16th, but his rival pulled level again on the seventeenth and then failed to convert a ten-foot birdie attempt to claim victory on the last hole.
Playoff Climax
This led to a playoff at the Yas Links course where the eventual winner prevailed to claim the championship and $1.5m (ÂŁ1.13 million) in winnings.
{“Tommy is a phenomenal golfer and an even more individual. To play with him the final two rounds was really special,” stated Rai, the current 30th-ranked player globally. “You’re so concentrated on playing the round and staying in the zone, it’s difficult to describe at the present how it feels. It is incredible to be holding the trophy.”
Other Contenders
Rory McIlroy left himself a bit too far to make up, finishing a stroke behind in a tie for third with Højgaard, after a spectacular 10-under closing round of ten-under. It was McIlroy’s best-ever round on the DP World Tour, comprising eight birdie putts and one eagle.
Højgaard fired six birdie putts of his own, but his hopes of topping the leaderboard were dented by a dropped shot on the 12th. English golfer Richard Mansell hit an superb last round 63 to end up in a tie for fifth place with Australian Hillier.