The 30-year-old golfer displayed remarkable composure to secure the prestigious Abu Dhabi title on Sunday, beating his compatriot in a tense playoff following a rollercoaster final round of competition.
Rai sank a crucial birdie from around eight foot to seal the victory, echoing his sole prior tournament triumph at the 2020 Scottish Open, which was also a playoff victory over Fleetwood.
Rai started the final round with a one-shot lead over countryman Fleetwood and Denmark’s Nicolai Højgaard. He finished with a overall score of 263 after a topsy-turvy, five-under final round that featured seven birdies and a pair of bogeys.
The challenger moved a stroke clear with two holes remaining after a birdie on the 16th, but his rival tied it up again on the seventeenth and then failed to convert a 10-foot birdie putt to claim victory on the final green.
That led to a play-off at Yas Links where Rai prevailed to take the title and $1.5m (£1.13m) in prize money.
{“Tommy is a phenomenal player and an even better person. To compete alongside him the final two rounds was really special,” said the winner, the present 30th-ranked player globally. “You’re so focused on your game and maintaining focus, it’s difficult to put into words at the moment how it feels. It is amazing to be holding the trophy.”
Rory McIlroy found himself a bit too far to do, coming up one shot short in a tie for third with Højgaard, after a spectacular 10-under closing round of ten-under. It was McIlroy’s lowest-ever score on the European Tour, comprising eight birdie putts and one eagle.
The Danish golfer carded six birdies of his own, but his hopes of leading the leaderboard were dented by a bogey on the 12th. English golfer Richard Mansell produced an superb final-round 63 to end up tied for fifth with Australia’s Daniel Hillier.
A professional gamer and strategy analyst with over a decade of experience in competitive esports.
