After 72 holes, Rory McIlroy put in an incredible last round effort of -10 to manage an overall 24-under par. However, that wasn’t enough as he fell short by 1 stroke to enter the playoff round with Tommy Fleetwood and Aaron Rai. In the end, the two Englishmen battled it out in just one extra hole over the regulation 72. That was enough for the 30-year-old to claim his 3rd title in Europe. Moments after his win, Rai expressed what it was like facing Fleetwood in the final moments of the event in Abu Dhabi.

After winning the 2025 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, he was asked what he felt like at Yas Links Golf Course at the moment. Rai told the reporters, “It’s hard to sum up. I was so focused, just tried to stay in the zone. It’s hard to put into words at the moment how this feels and how I’m going to reflect on it. Just amazing to be stood here.” He was overwhelmed with emotions after winning a DP World Tour playoff event. Even though he had been playing the European Tour for quite some time now, he had never been able to win the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship or the DP World Tour Championship yet. So this was a huge career achievement for him.

Speaking of his opponent in the playoff, Rai also added, “Obviously, Tommy is a phenomenal player, and he’s an even better person than he is a player, and that says a lot. To play with him the last two days, and to be able to be in a playoff with him, was really special as well.” Fleetwood has the reputation of being one of the most gracious and respected pros on the golf course. Even after tough defeats, he has shown class and integrity by the way he treats his opponents. Fans witnessed a great example of that when Keegan Bradley beat him in the Travelers Championship earlier this year. And now, Aaron Rai got a first-hand experience of it.

That said, both Tommy Fleetwood & Aaron Rai are not done with their task. They will meet again in Dubai next week. Let’s see what their next challenge will be.

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What lies ahead for Tommy Fleetwood & Aaron Rai on the DP World Tour?

Aaron Rai may have won the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, but he will face an even tougher challenge next week in Dubai. The 30-year-old will face off Tommy Fleetwood, Rory McIlroy, & Co. in the Jumeirah Golf Estates’ Earth Course for the DP World Tour Championship. This will be the final event of the season and it’s bound to be action packed.

McIlroy will be battling with the entire field to win his 7th Race to Dubai title. He will then officially surpass his idol, Seve Ballesteros, by one. The win will also bring him only one title away from the all-time leader, Colin Montgomerie. However, his efforts could be derailed by Marco Penge, who is not that far behind on the leaderboard. As far as Rai goes, his win at Yas Links has helped him surpass Fleetwood in the rankings. Should he perform well in the last event of the season, he will finish in the top 5 of the DP World Tour R2DR table.