Aaron Rai Clinches Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship in Dramatic Playoff Battle Versus Tommy Fleetwood
Aaron Rai displayed exceptional nerve to claim the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship on Sunday, defeating his compatriot in a dramatic playoff after a rollercoaster last day of competition.
Rai nailed a decisive birdie from around eight foot to seal the win, repeating his sole prior tournament triumph at the 2020 Scottish Open, which was also a playoff win over Fleetwood.
Final Round Drama
Rai started the final round with a one-shot lead over fellow Englishman Tommy Fleetwood and Danish golfer Nicolai Højgaard. He finished with a total score of 263 after a up-and-down, five-under closing round that included seven birdies and a pair of bogeys.
Fleetwood moved a stroke clear with two holes to play after a birdie on the sixteenth, but Rai tied it up again on the seventeenth and then failed to convert a ten-foot birdie attempt to win outright on the last hole.
Playoff Decider
This led to a play-off at the Yas Links course where Rai prevailed to claim the championship and $1.5m (£1.13 million) in winnings.
{“Tommy is a phenomenal player and an even more person. To play with him the last two days was really special,” stated the winner, the present world No 30. “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.”
Notable Contenders
The Northern Irish star left himself a bit too far to make up, coming up a stroke short in a tie for third with Højgaard, after a stunning 10-under final round of 62. It was McIlroy’s best-ever score on the European Tour, comprising eight birdie putts and an eagle.
Højgaard fired six birdies of his as well, but his chances of leading the leaderboard were hit by a dropped shot on the twelfth. England’s Richard Mansell hit an superb final-round seven-under to end up in a tie for fifth place with Australian Hillier.
