Aaron Rai displayed composure under pressure as he returned from a short break to marry Indian professional golfer Gaurika Bishnoi, before defeating Tommy Fleetwood on the first playoff hole to win the Abu Dhabi Championship on Sunday.
Rai sealed victory with a 12-foot birdie putt at Yas Links after fellow Englishman Fleetwood missed from a longer range. Both players had finished regulation play on 25 under par, with Rai carding a final-round 67 and Fleetwood a 66.
The 30-year-old’s triumph marked his third DP World Tour title and his first since 2020. His most recent win came 14 months ago on the PGA Tour at the Wyndham Championship.
“Amazing week,” Rai said. “I didn’t really have too many expectations coming into it. I actually came here two weeks ago to do a bit of practice, which helped massively. I wasn’t sure what to expect, so to be sat here now is hard to put into words.”
The victory is projected to lift Rai to world No 23 and seventh in the Race to Dubai standings ahead of next week’s season-ending event.
World No 2 Rory McIlroy surged up the leaderboard with a bogey-free 10-under 62 to finish tie-third alongside Denmark’s Nicolai Hojgaard, who closed with a 67. It was McIlroy’s 10th top-three finish in a tournament he has never won.
New Zealander Daniel Hillier (67) and England’s Richard Mansell (63) finished tie-fifth on 22 under par.
South Africa’s Richard Sterne, who was in contention earlier in the tournament, shared 12th position on 19 under after carding a 69 that included five birdies and two bogeys. Countryman Jayden Schaper shot a 68 to share 23rd on 15 under.
Fleetwood, one stroke behind Rai at the start of the round, opened with a birdie on the 1st and an eagle from the fairway bunker on the 2nd. Rai responded with four consecutive birdies from the 4th to reclaim the lead.
Fleetwood moved ahead again when Rai missed a two-foot par putt on the 14th, but both birdied the 16th before Rai struck again with a birdie on the 17th to force the playoff.
Rai credited his caddie, Jason Timmis, for helping him regain focus after the missed putt.
“Jason played a huge role after I missed that putt,” Rai said. “He kept me in the present and focused on finishing strong. I think I would have struggled to hit the shots I did on 15 and 16 without his support. It was critical to have him pull me through that moment.”
McIlroy extended his lead at the top of the Race to Dubai standings as he continues his pursuit of a record-equaling seventh title – one short of Colin Montgomerie’s all-time mark.
“Obviously ended up one short, but it was a great day of golf and a great way to end the week,” McIlroy said. “It’s also a good way to head into Dubai next week.”
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– AFP
Photo: Luke Walker / Getty Images
Article Link: Rai edges Fleetwood to win Abu Dhabi playoff