The 30-year-old golfer displayed exceptional composure to claim the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship on Sunday, beating his compatriot in a tense playoff after a rollercoaster last day of play.
The Englishman sank a decisive birdie putt from just over eight feet to seal the win, echoing his only previous tournament success at the Scottish Open in 2020, which was also a play-off win against the same opponent.
Rai started the final round with a one-shot advantage over fellow Englishman Tommy Fleetwood and Danish golfer Højgaard. He finished with a overall score of 263 after a topsy-turvy, five-under closing round that featured seven birdie putts and two bogeys.
Fleetwood moved one shot ahead with two holes to play after a birdie putt on the sixteenth, but his rival tied it up again on the seventeenth and then missed a ten-foot birdie putt to win outright on the last hole.
This led to a play-off at Yas Links where the eventual winner prevailed to claim the championship and $1.5 million (£1.13 million) in prize money.
{“Tommy is a phenomenal golfer and an even better person. To play with him the final two rounds was truly memorable,” stated Rai, the current 30th-ranked player globally. “You’re so concentrated on your game and staying in the zone, it’s hard to describe at the moment how it feels. It is amazing to be holding the trophy.”
Rory McIlroy left himself a bit too far to make up, coming up a stroke behind in a shared third place with Højgaard, after a stunning 10-under final round of 62. It was McIlroy’s best-ever score on the European Tour, including eight birdies and one eagle.
The Danish golfer carded six birdies of his as well, but his chances of leading the leaderboard were dented by a dropped shot on the 12th. England’s Mansell produced an superb final-round 63 to end up tied for fifth with Australia’s Hillier.
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