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

Tiger Woods thrashed in TGL golf comeback as Los Angeles Golf Club beat Jupiter Links to win season-long SoFi Cup title

Tiger Woods thrashed in TGL golf comeback as Los Angeles Golf Club beat Jupiter Links to win season-long SoFi Cup title

Tiger Woods’ TGL comeback ended in defeat as Los Angeles Golf Club thrashed Jupiter Links GC 9-2 to wrap-up the season-long SoFi Cup title with a matc...

Valspar Championship: England's Matt Fitzpatrick bounces back from The Players near miss to claim first PGA Tour title since 2023

Valspar Championship: England's Matt Fitzpatrick bounces back from The Players near miss to claim first PGA Tour title since 2023

Matt Fitzpatrick bounced back from his final-hole disappointment at last week's Players Championship to birdie the last and win the Valspar Championsh...

LPGA Tour: Nelly Korda comeback in vain as Hyo-Joo Kim holds on to win Fortinet Founders Cup in California

LPGA Tour: Nelly Korda comeback in vain as Hyo-Joo Kim holds on to win Fortinet Founders Cup in California

Hyo-Joo Kim held off the challenge of world No 2 Nelly Korda to clinch her eighth LPGA Tour title with a one-shot victory at the Fortinet Founders Cup...

TGL golf 2026 schedule: Fixtures, results, team line-ups and format as Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods and PGA Tour stars feature

TGL golf 2026 schedule: Fixtures, results, team line-ups and format as Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods and PGA Tour stars feature

A look at the fixtures and full schedule for the 2026 TGL season, featuring both Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, with every match exclusively live on Yo...

DP World Tour: Jordan Gumberg wins Hainan Classic by one stroke to secure second career title

DP World Tour: Jordan Gumberg wins Hainan Classic by one stroke to secure second career title

Jordan Gumberg claimed his second career victory on the DP World Tour as he claimed a one-stroke win at the Hainan Classic on Sunday.The American, who...

DP World Tour: Alex Fitzpatrick wins first title at Hero Indian Open - a week after brother Matt's PGA Tour triumph

DP World Tour: Alex Fitzpatrick wins first title at Hero Indian Open - a week after brother Matt's PGA Tour triumph

Alex Fitzpatrick clinched his first DP World Tour title with a two-shot victory at the Hero Indian Open - a week after older brother Matt triumphed at...