Aaron Rai Secures the Abu Dhabi Title in Dramatic Play-Off Battle Versus Fellow Englishman Fleetwood
Aaron Rai displayed exceptional composure to claim the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship on Sunday, beating his compatriot in a tense playoff after a rollercoaster final round of competition.
Rai nailed a crucial birdie from around eight feet to seal the victory, repeating his sole prior tournament success at the 2020 Scottish Open, which was also a playoff victory against Fleetwood.
Final Round Excitement
Rai entered the final round with a one-shot advantage over countryman Fleetwood and Danish golfer Nicolai Højgaard. He finished with a overall score of 263 after a topsy-turvy, 67 closing round that featured seven birdie putts and two bogeys.
The challenger moved a stroke ahead with two holes to play after a birdie on the sixteenth, but his rival pulled level again on the 17th and then missed a 10-foot birdie attempt to claim victory on the last green.
Playoff Climax
This led to a playoff at Yas Links where the eventual winner triumphed to claim the championship and $1.5m (£1.13 million) in prize money.
{“Tommy is a world-class golfer and an even better person. To play with him the final two rounds was really special,” said the winner, the current 30th-ranked player globally. “You’re so focused on your game and maintaining focus, it’s hard to describe at the moment how it feels. It is amazing to be stood here.”
Notable Performances
Rory McIlroy found himself a bit too far to do, coming up one shot short in a tie for third with the Dane, after a stunning 62 closing round of ten-under. It was his lowest-ever round on the DP World Tour, including eight birdie putts and one eagle.
The Danish golfer carded six birdies of his own, but his hopes of leading the leaderboard were dented by a dropped shot on the twelfth. England’s Mansell produced an excellent last round seven-under to finish in a tie for fifth place with Australia’s Hillier.
