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Rai edges Fleetwood in Abu Dhabi playoff / Photo: © AFP
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Rai edges Fleetwood in Abu Dhabi playoff
Aaron Rai showed nerves of steel to beat Tommy Fleetwood on the first extra hole and 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.
It is likely to elevate him to No. 23 on the Official 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.
P. Hansen--BTZ
