Aaron Rai Secures Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship in Dramatic Play-Off Battle Versus Tommy Fleetwood
The 30-year-old golfer displayed remarkable nerve to secure the prestigious Abu Dhabi title on Sunday, defeating Tommy Fleetwood in a dramatic playoff following a topsy-turvy last day of play.
Rai nailed a crucial birdie putt from around eight feet to seal the win, repeating his only previous tournament success at the Scottish Open in 2020, which was also a playoff win against the same opponent.
Sunday's Play Drama
Rai started the last day with a one-shot advantage over fellow Englishman Fleetwood and Denmark’s Nicolai Højgaard. He finished with a overall score of 263 after a up-and-down, 67 final round that featured seven birdies and two bogeys.
The challenger moved one shot clear with the 16th and 17th to play after a birdie putt on the sixteenth, but Rai pulled level again on the seventeenth and then failed to convert a ten-foot birdie attempt to claim victory on the final hole.
Playoff Climax
That led to a playoff at Yas Links where the eventual winner prevailed to take the championship and $1.5m (£1.13 million) in winnings.
{“Tommy is a world-class golfer and an even better person. To compete alongside him the last two days was truly memorable,” said the winner, the current 30th-ranked player globally. “You’re so concentrated on your game and staying in the zone, it’s hard to describe at the present how it feels. It is incredible to be holding the trophy.”
Notable Performances
The Northern Irish star left himself a bit too far to make up, finishing one shot short in a shared third place with Højgaard, after a spectacular 62 final round of ten-under. It was McIlroy’s best-ever round on the DP World Tour, including eight birdies and an eagle.
The Danish golfer carded six birdies of his as well, but his chances of topping the leaderboard were hit by a dropped shot on the 12th. English golfer Richard Mansell hit an superb last round seven-under to end up in a tie for fifth place with Australia’s Daniel Hillier.
