Aaron Rai defeats Tommy Fleetwood in a playoff to win the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. McIlroy finishes third.
The first playoff of the DP World Tour season concluded with Aaron Rai edging out fellow Englishman Tommy Fleetwood at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. Rai surged ahead with four birdies on the front nine and added three more on the back nine, finishing with a 67 and a total of 25-under-par. Despite a bogey on holes 8 and 14, Rai maintained his composure to force a playoff.
Fleetwood delivered a flawless final round, highlighted by an eagle on the second hole, carding a 66 to match Rai’s total. In the playoff, Rai secured victory with a birdie while Fleetwood settled for par, giving Rai his second career Rolex Series title.
The moment Aaron Rai beat Tommy Fleetwood in the first play-off hole to claim his second Rolex Series win đź’Ş#ADGolfChamps | #RolexSeries pic.twitter.com/XVA1Wt9IqC
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) November 9, 2025
Rai, who hadn’t played since the BMW PGA Championship in September and entered the week ranked 55th, earned 1,500 Race to Dubai points with his win. He jumped 46 spots to ninth in the standings, securing his place in the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai, where only the top 50 qualify. “It’s hard to describe,” Rai said, embracing his father Amrik after the win. “You just try to stay in the moment and in the flow. It’s difficult to put into words how this feels.”
Denmark’s Nicolai Højgaard and Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy shared third place at 24-under-par. McIlroy posted an impressive 62