Rai beats Fleetwood in a play-off thriller in the final round

Abu Dhabi Championship final-round leaderboard

-25 A Rai (Eng), T Fleetwood (Eng); -24 N Hojgaard (Den), R McIlroy (NI); -22 R Mansell (Eng), D Hillier (Nz); -21 I Elvira (Spa), A Sullivan (Eng); -20 A Ayora (Spa), R MacIntyre (Sco), M Penge (Eng)

Selected others: -19 S Lowry (Ire); -18 M Jordan (Eng), J Smith (Eng); -15 L Aaberg (Swe); -14 M Fitzpatrick (Eng); -11 T Hatton (Eng)

After a thrilling final round at Yas Links, Aaron Rai defeated Tommy Fleetwood in a playoff to win the Abu Dhabi Championship.

Rai secured victory by holing a seven-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole, while his fellow Englishman Fleetwood could only manage a par score.

Earlier, both players topped the tournament leaderboard with scores of 25 under par, however, Rai missed a chance to win in regulation time when his birdie putt on the 18th hole went wide of the hole.

"It's hard to describe [my feelings]," said 30-year-old Rai. "You're so focused on playing the round and staying in the zone that it's hard to put into words how it feels. It's amazing to be standing here."

"Tommy is a great player and an even better person. Playing with him these last two days has been really special." It's amazing to be here."

Rory McIlroy shot a brilliant final round 62 to finish one shot behind – his best round on the DP World Tour this season.

Joining him at 24 under was Denmark's Nicolai Højgaard, who missed an eagle chance in the final round to join Fleetwood and Rai in a playoff.

World No. 30 Rai had taken a one-shot lead yesterday, but the final day was a rollercoaster ride as Fleetwood opened with a birdie and then eagled the par-five second.

Four consecutive birdies on the opening nine put Rai back in front, but a bogey on the eighth gave Fleetwood the lead.

Many players, including McIlroy, began to cluster behind the leaders. The Northern Irishman eagled the par-five second, but five consecutive birdies on the turn put him back in contention, and a birdie in the final round took him to 24 under. and the clubhouse lead.

Meanwhile, birdies on the 16th and 17th holes brought Rai level with Fleetwood, who saved par with another clutch putt on the second-last hole, and the score remained level until the 18th.

Rai missed his first chance on the 18th green, but made no mistake on the same hole in the playoff to secure his third DP World Tour title.

It was his first win on Tour since the 2020 Scottish Open, when he also defeated Fleetwood in a playoff.

The Abu Dhabi Championship is the first of the DP World Tour's two season-ending playoffs, with the top 70 players competing this week and the top 50 advancing to next week's final in Dubai.

Rai started the tournament in 55th place, but this win means he will enter next week's event in ninth place.

McIlroy, who is tied for 5th with Colin Montgomerie He is two places behind the record of eight. Having served as the Tour's number one player for years, he leads the Race to Dubai standings with a 767-point lead over Marco Prange, who has won three times on Tour this year.

Prange shot a nine-under 63 in the final round and finished tied for ninth at 20 under with Scotland's Robert MacIntyre and Spain's Angel Ayora.