Just-married Rai edges Fleetwood in Abu Dhabi playoff / Photo: Fadel SENNA - AFP
Just-married Rai edges Fleetwood in Abu Dhabi playoff
Aaron Rai showed nerves of steel as he returned from a break to get married and beat Tommy Fleetwood on the first extra hole to win the Abu Dhabi Championship on Sunday.
Rai made a birdie from 12 feet to clinch the playoff at Yas Links after fellow Briton Fleetwood had missed from further away.
Rai shot a final-round 67 and Fleetwood a 66 as both finished regulation play at 25-under par.
The win was the 30-year-old Rai's third on the DP World Tour but his first since 2020. His last title came on the US Tour at the Wyndham Championship nearly 14 months ago.
Rai had not played since September. He married Indian professional golfer Gaurika Bishnoi last week. He also caddied for her at the Indian Open on the Ladies European Tour.
"Amazing week," he said. "Didn't really have too many expectations coming into the week. I actually came here two weeks ago to do a little bit of practice, which helped massively."
"I wasn't really sure what to expect, so to be sat here now is hard to put into words."
The win is likely to elevate him to No. 23 on the World Golf Ranking, and to seventh in the Race to Dubai, which decides places at the season-ending event next week.
World No. 2 Rory McIlroy started the final round six behind Rai and shot a bogey-free 10-under 62, in a tie for third alongside Dane Nicolai Hojgaard, who shot 67.
It was McIlroy's 10th top-three finish in the tournament that he has never won.
New Zealander Daniel Hillier (67) and Englishman Richard Mansell (63) were tied fifth at 22 under.
Fleetwood, one behind Rai at the beginning of the round, started with a birdie on the opening hole and an eagle from the fairway bunker on the second.
Rai responded with four straight birdies from the fourth hole reclaim the lead.
Fleetwood took a one-shot lead when Rai's par putt from two feet lipped out on the 14th. Both men birdied 16 but Rai then birdied 17 to force a tie.
Rai said his caddie, Jason Timmis helped him recover his poise.
"Jason played a huge role after I missed that putt, walking to the green. After hitting the tee shot on 15, he tried to keep me in the present and keep me focused on the hole we were playing and finish off as well as we could," said Rai.
"I think I would have struggled to hit the shots that I did down 15 and 16 if it wasn't for him and what he said to me. It was critical to have him pull me through that moment."
McIlroy increased his lead on the top of the Race to Dubai rankings where as he will attempts to win a seventh title which gets him to within one of Colin Montgomerie's record of eight."
"Obviously ended up one short, but a great day of golf, and a great way,to end the week. Also a great way to sort of go into next week into Dubai, as well," he said.
C.López--ECdLR
