Aaron Rai displayed exceptional nerve to claim the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship on the final day, beating Tommy Fleetwood in a dramatic play-off after a topsy-turvy final round of play.
The Englishman nailed a decisive birdie putt from just over eight feet to clinch the win, echoing his sole prior tournament success at the Scottish Open in 2020, which was also a playoff victory against Fleetwood.
Rai entered the last day with a one-shot advantage over fellow Englishman Fleetwood and Denmark’s Højgaard. He finished with a total score of 263 after a topsy-turvy, five-under closing round that included seven birdies and two bogeys.
Fleetwood moved one shot clear with two holes remaining after a birdie on the 16th, but Rai pulled level again on the 17th and then failed to convert a 10-foot birdie attempt to win outright on the final green.
This set up a play-off at the Yas Links course where Rai triumphed to claim the title and $1.5m (£1.13 million) in winnings.
{“Tommy is a world-class golfer and an even better person. To compete alongside him the final two rounds was really special,” stated Rai, the current 30th-ranked player globally. “You’re so focused on your game and staying in the zone, it’s difficult to describe at the moment how it is. It is amazing to be holding the trophy.”
The Northern Irish star found himself a bit too far to do, coming up a stroke behind in a shared third place with the Dane, after a spectacular 62 final round of 62. It was his lowest-ever score on the European Tour, comprising eight birdie putts and an eagle.
Højgaard carded six birdies of his as well, but his hopes of leading the leaderboard were hit by a dropped shot on the 12th. England’s Mansell hit an superb final-round seven-under to finish tied for fifth with Australia’s Hillier.
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