Aaron Rai Wins Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship in Dramatic Playoff Battle Against Tommy Fleetwood
The 30-year-old golfer displayed exceptional nerve to secure the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship on the final day, beating his compatriot in a dramatic play-off after a rollercoaster last day of competition.
Rai sank a crucial birdie putt from around eight feet to seal the victory, repeating his only previous tournament success at the Scottish Open in 2020, which was likewise a play-off win over Fleetwood.
Sunday's Play Drama
Rai started the final round with a single stroke advantage over fellow Englishman Tommy Fleetwood and Danish golfer Højgaard. He finished with a total score of twenty-under after a up-and-down, 67 final round that included seven birdie putts and a pair of bogeys.
The challenger edged one shot clear with two holes remaining after a birdie putt on the 16th, but Rai pulled level again on the seventeenth and then missed a 10-foot birdie attempt to win outright on the last hole.
Playoff Decider
This led to a play-off at Yas Links where the eventual winner triumphed to take the title and $1.5m (£1.13m) in winnings.
{“Tommy is a phenomenal golfer and an even better person. 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 hard to describe at the moment how it feels. It is incredible to be holding the trophy.”
Other Contenders
The Northern Irish star left himself just too much to do, finishing a stroke short in a tie for third with Højgaard, after a spectacular 10-under final round of ten-under. It was McIlroy’s lowest-ever score on the European Tour, including eight birdie putts and an eagle.
Højgaard fired six birdie putts of his as well, but his hopes of leading the leaderboard were dented by a bogey on the twelfth. English golfer Mansell produced an superb final-round 63 to finish in a tie for fifth place with Australia’s Hillier.
