Aaron Rai Wins Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship in Dramatic Playoff Battle Against Tommy Fleetwood
The 30-year-old golfer demonstrated exceptional nerve to claim the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship on Sunday, beating Tommy Fleetwood in a tense play-off after a rollercoaster final round of competition.
The Englishman sank a decisive birdie putt from just over eight feet to seal the victory, echoing his only previous Rolex Series triumph at the 2020 Scottish Open, which was likewise a play-off victory over Fleetwood.
Final Round Drama
The champion started the last day with a one-shot lead over countryman Fleetwood and Danish golfer Nicolai Højgaard. He finished with a overall score of 263 after a up-and-down, 67 final round that featured seven birdie putts and a pair of bogeys.
Fleetwood edged one shot clear with two holes to play after a birdie putt on the sixteenth, but his rival tied it up again on the seventeenth and then missed a 10-foot birdie putt to claim victory on the last green.
Playoff Decider
This set up a play-off at the Yas Links course where the eventual winner prevailed to take the championship and $1.5m (£1.13m) in winnings.
{“Tommy is a world-class player and an even better person. To compete alongside him the last two days was really special,” stated the winner, the current world No 30. “You’re so focused on playing the round and staying in the zone, it’s hard to put into words at the moment how it feels. It is amazing to be holding the trophy.”
Notable Performances
The Northern Irish star left himself just too much to make up, finishing one shot short in a shared third place with the Dane, after a stunning 62 final round of ten-under. It was his best-ever score on the European Tour, comprising eight birdies and one eagle.
The Danish golfer carded six birdies of his own, but his hopes of topping the leaderboard were dented by a bogey on the twelfth. English golfer Richard Mansell produced an superb last round seven-under to end up in a tie for fifth place with Australia’s Daniel Hillier.
