#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

The Open: Former Premier League stars Jimmy Bullard and Peter Odemwingie fall short in bid to qualify for men's golf major

The Open: Former Premier League stars Jimmy Bullard and Peter Odemwingie fall short in bid to qualify for men's golf major

Former Premier League footballers Jimmy Bullard and Peter Odemwingie have both fallen short in their ambitious attempts to qualify for The Open via Re...

LPGA Tour: England's Lottie Woad suffers play-off heartbreak at Meijer LPGA Classic as Miyu Yamashita snatches victory

LPGA Tour: England's Lottie Woad suffers play-off heartbreak at Meijer LPGA Classic as Miyu Yamashita snatches victory

England's Lottie Woad narrowly missed out on her second LPGA Tour victory of the season after Miyu Yamashita snatched a dramatic play-off victory at t...

US Open: Rory McIlroy admits Shinnecock Hills 'won the battle' after seeing major title hopes fade during frustrating weekend

US Open: Rory McIlroy admits Shinnecock Hills 'won the battle' after seeing major title hopes fade during frustrating weekend

Rory McIlroy was left frustrated by seeing the "wheels come off" during the US Open, where a disappointing weekend display saw his major hopes ended a...

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...

US Women's Open: Nelly Korda claims thrilling victory as Charley Hull narrowly misses out on major win in California

US Women's Open: Nelly Korda claims thrilling victory as Charley Hull narrowly misses out on major win in California

World No 1 Nelly Korda snatched a dramatic victory at the US Women's Open as Charley Hull's wait for an elusive maiden major continued despite a histo...

Charley Hull exclusive: Late-night dreams from 'sore' near-misses fuel motivation to find breakthrough major win

Charley Hull exclusive: Late-night dreams from 'sore' near-misses fuel motivation to find breakthrough major win

Charley Hull has experienced late-night dreams replaying past near-misses in majors but insists she "can beat anyone" as she continues to pursue an el...