#Letakan iklan disini
Golf Dec 07, 2025

Abu Dhabi Championship: Aaron Rai edges out Tommy Fleetwood in play-off to win DP World Tour title as Rory McIlroy falls short

👤
By Admin
Sports Journalist
Abu Dhabi Championship: Aaron Rai edges out Tommy Fleetwood in play-off to win DP World Tour title as Rory McIlroy falls short

Aaron Rai held his nerve to win the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship after beating Tommy Fleetwood on the first play-off hole.

The 30-year-old sunk a birdie from just over eight feet to emulate his only previous Rolex Series win at the 2020 Scottish Open - which was also a play-off win over Fleetwood.

Rai went into the final round with a one-shot lead over Fleetwood and Nicolai Hojgaard, and emerged with a total of 263 after a topsy-turvy, five-under final round that included seven birdies and two bogeys.

He missed a 10-foot putt to win it on the last and see off Fleetwood, who had moved one shot clear with two to play after a birdie on the 16th, but ultimately had to settle for parity after a six-under final round of 66.

Rory McIlroy left himself just too much to do, coming up one shot short in a tie for third place with Hojgaard, after a stunning 10-under final round of 62, comprising eight birdies and an eagle - his lowest ever round on the DP World Tour.

"I just tried to keep my foot down and make as many birdies as possible, knowing that I'm trying to win this tournament but also give myself the biggest cushion possible going into Dubai next week, as well," McIlroy said.

Hojgaard fired six birdies but his hopes of topping the leaderboard were hit by a bogey on the 12th. England's Richard Mansell hit an excellent final round 63 to finish tied for fifth place with Australia's Daniel Hillier.

After his win, Rai said: "It's hard to sum up. I think you're just so focused on playing the round and obviously just trying to stay in your zone. It's hard to put into words at the moment how this feels or how I'm going to reflect on it.

"But it's just amazing to be stood here. Tommy is a phenomenal player. He's an even better person than he is a player and that says a lot.

"To play with him the last two days and be out there with him was really special. So yeah, amazing to be here."

The DP World Tour Play-Offs conclude with the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai live on SportNews Golf and SportNews Main Event from November 13 at 7am.

Tags:

golf news id:13467165

Share this article

Related Posts

US Women's Open: Nelly Korda improves on opening round as Alison Lee takes joint lead at Riviera Country Club

US Women's Open: Nelly Korda improves on opening round as Alison Lee takes joint lead at Riviera Country Club

World No 1 Nelly Korda jumped into the hunt for her first Women's Open title by shooting the day's lowest round at 67, leaving her just two shots back...

Tyrrell Hatton beats Jon Rahm to win LIV Golf Andalucia as Joaquin Niemann earns spot at The Open Championship

Tyrrell Hatton beats Jon Rahm to win LIV Golf Andalucia as Joaquin Niemann earns spot at The Open Championship

Tyrrell Hatton won his first tournament since becoming a father as he held off a charging Jon Rahm to take victory at LIV Golf Andalucia.The Englishma...

Memorial Tournament: Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler sneak under par before play suspended due to storm

Memorial Tournament: Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler sneak under par before play suspended due to storm

Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler both picked up a couple of shots on Saturday to move to one-under par at the Memorial Tournament, before the third...

Memorial Tournament: Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler struggle as JT Poston leads after second round

Memorial Tournament: Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler struggle as JT Poston leads after second round

JT Poston made light work of tricky, windy conditions to take a one-shot lead at the Memorial Tournament as the world's top two Rory McIlroy and Scott...

US Women's Open: Lottie Woad given two-shot penalty for bunker infringement during third round with Charley Hull in contention

US Women's Open: Lottie Woad given two-shot penalty for bunker infringement during third round with Charley Hull in contention

Lottie Woad was handed a two-stroke penalty during the third round of the US Women's Open on Saturday following a rule breach in a bunker as Charley H...

US Women's Open: Charley Hull rues 'frustrating' major near-miss after runner-up finish to Nelly Korda in California

US Women's Open: Charley Hull rues 'frustrating' major near-miss after runner-up finish to Nelly Korda in California

Charley Hull admitted another near-miss in a major was "pretty annoying" after narrowly falling short in her bid for a historic comeback victory at th...