The English golfer Wins the Abu Dhabi Title in Thrilling Playoff Battle Versus Fellow Englishman Fleetwood
Aaron Rai displayed exceptional nerve to secure the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship on Sunday, beating his compatriot in a tense playoff following a rollercoaster last day of competition.
The Englishman sank a decisive birdie from around eight feet to seal the victory, repeating his only previous Rolex Series success at the Scottish Open in 2020, which was also a play-off win against Fleetwood.
Final Round Excitement
Rai entered the final round with a one-shot advantage over countryman Fleetwood and Denmark’s Nicolai Højgaard. He finished with a overall score of 263 after a topsy-turvy, five-under closing round that included seven birdies and two bogeys.
The challenger moved one shot clear with two holes remaining after a birdie on the sixteenth, but his rival pulled level again on the seventeenth and then missed a ten-foot birdie attempt to win outright on the last green.
Play-Off Decider
That led to a play-off at the Yas Links course where Rai prevailed to claim the title and $1.5m (£1.13 million) in prize money.
{“Tommy is a world-class golfer and an even better individual. To play with him the final two rounds was really special,” stated the winner, the present world No 30. “You’re so focused on playing the round and staying in the zone, it’s difficult to put into words at the present how it feels. It is incredible to be stood here.”
Notable Performances
The Northern Irish star left himself just too much to do, finishing one shot short in a shared third place with the Dane, after a spectacular 10-under closing round of ten-under. It was his best-ever round on the European Tour, including eight birdie putts and one eagle.
Højgaard fired six birdie putts of his as well, but his chances of topping the standings were hit by a bogey on the 12th. English golfer Mansell produced an superb last round seven-under to finish tied for fifth with Australia’s Daniel Hillier.
