Past winners crowd the field at Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship

File photo of England’s defending champion Aaron Rai with his trophy at the Yas Links last year. Image courtesy DPWT.

Past winners crowd the field at Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship

By Rahul Banerji

Former winners Tommy Fleetwood and Tyrrell Hatton are back for the Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship which tees off on Thursday at the Yas Links.

They will be joined by major champions Adam Scott, Rory McIlroy, Patrick Reed and event debutant Jon Rahm besides Race to Dubai Rankings leader Eugenio Chacarra and defending champion Aaron Rai.

Also in the field is two-time DP World Tour winner Casey Jarvis of South Africa, the DPWT said. 

With all five leading players in the rankings confirmed, Abu Dhabi is set to play a pivotal role in deciding who lifts the Harry Vardon Trophy.

Englishman Rai overcame Fleetwood in a dramatic play-off last year to claim his second Rolex Series win and is looking forward to defending his title in an extremely strong field. 

“To have a chance to win was incredible. Probably my abiding memories on the Sunday were just the up-and-down nature of the round, finishing off extremely strong, Rai said on Wednesday. 

Great hole

“I felt very appreciative of getting into the play-off with Tommy. And then, yeah, played a great hole in the play-off, and yeah, that probably sticks out.”

“I think kind of being really pleased at just having the chance to play so well. My preparation was very different coming into the week. 

“I had gotten married the Sunday before the tournament. I travelled here on Tuesday, which is something I very rarely do for any tournament. 

“So my expectations were extremely low coming into the week, and kind of surprised myself at how well I started playing on the Thursday.”

Fleetwood will be chasing a third Abu Dhabi title, having won back-to-back titles in 2017 and 2018. 

His first victory featured a chip-in eagle as he beat Dustin Johnson and Pablo Larrazábal by one shot, before a closing 65 secured the second title 12 months later.

Further success

The Dubai resident and world no. 7 went on to win the Race to Dubai in 2017 and the inaugural Dubai Invitational in 2024, before claiming the PGA Tour’s FedExCup last year.

However, the advantage could lie with McIlroy, with the Northern Irishman having four second and six third-place finishes at this event, of which two came in the last two seasons.

He also has seven wins in Dubai which hosts the season-ending DP World Tour Championship – and is keen to complete unfinished business in Abu Dhabi.

“I feel like the UAE in general has been a good place for me,” McIlroy said. 

“It’s crazy to think that the 15 years that I’ve been coming here with how many times I’ve been in contention, I haven’t been able to get over line.

“Hopefully this year I give myself another chance. I feel like we played at Abu Dhabi Golf Club for a lot of years and then from coming here recently, the course is definitely growing on me. 

“I think the first time I played it, I probably didn’t enjoy it as much as I enjoy it now.”

Winner at Abu Dhabi in 2021, Hatton has five Rolex Series titles to his name, including victories at Abu Dhabi Golf Club and the Hero Dubai Desert Classic in 2025.

Adding class

Scott adds major-winning pedigree to the field. The 2013 Masters champion has more than 30 professional victories worldwide, having also reached the top of the world rankings. 

He will be joined by fellow Masters champion Rahm, who won at Augusta National in 2023 and will make his debut at Yas Links.

This year marks the 21st edition of the Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship, which has featured on the DP World Tour’s Global Schedule since 2006.

The Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship is the first tournament of the DP World Tour Play-Offs, a two-event series that also includes the season-ending DP World Tour Championship.

Aldar, the Abu Dhabi-based real estate development, investment and asset management company, was announced as Title Partner earlier this year, marking a new chapter in its existing relationship with the DP World Tour.

The championship will be staged at Yas Links for the fifth consecutive year. It was previously played at Abu Dhabi Golf Club from 2006 to 2021.

Also read: Chacarra focussed on Yas Links with Race to Dubai in mind