The 30-year-old golfer displayed remarkable composure to claim the prestigious Abu Dhabi title on the final day, beating Tommy Fleetwood in a tense playoff following a topsy-turvy final round of play.
The Englishman nailed a decisive birdie from just over eight foot to seal the victory, repeating his only previous Rolex Series success at the 2020 Scottish Open, which was also a play-off victory against Fleetwood.
The champion started the final round with a one-shot advantage over countryman Tommy Fleetwood and Denmark’s Nicolai Højgaard. He ended up with a overall score of twenty-under after a up-and-down, 67 final round that included seven birdie putts and a pair of bogeys.
Fleetwood edged one shot ahead with the 16th and 17th to play after a birdie putt on the sixteenth, but his rival pulled level again on the seventeenth and then failed to convert a 10-foot birdie attempt to claim victory on the last hole.
That led to a play-off at Yas Links where Rai triumphed to claim the title and $1.5m (£1.13m) in winnings.
{“Tommy is a phenomenal golfer and an even more individual. To compete alongside him the final two rounds was really special,” said the winner, the present world No 30. “You’re so focused on your game and staying in the zone, it’s hard to put into words at the moment how it feels. It is amazing to be stood here.”
Rory McIlroy left himself a bit too far to do, finishing one shot behind in a tie for third with Højgaard, after a spectacular 62 closing round of ten-under. It was McIlroy’s best-ever round on the DP World Tour, comprising eight birdies and one eagle.
Højgaard carded six birdies of his as well, but his hopes of topping the leaderboard were dented by a bogey on the 12th. English golfer Mansell produced an excellent last round seven-under to end up tied for fifth with Australian Daniel Hillier.
A tech enthusiast and gaming aficionado with over a decade of experience in digital media and content creation.
