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.”