Rai pips Fleetwood in HSBC playoff for second Rolex Series title

British-Indian golfer Aaron Rai holds up the 2025 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship trophy which he won at the Yas Links course beating fellow-Englishman Tommy Fleetwood in a playoff on Sunday. Image courtesy DP World Tour/Getty Images.

By Rahul Banerji

England’s Aaron Rai claimed his second Rolex Series title at the 2025 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, beating compatriot Tommy Fleetwood in a dramatic play-off on Sunday.

Rai set out on Sunday with a one-shot lead but was quickly caught by playing partner Fleetwood who opened birdie-eagle to quickly overturn the deficit, the DP World Tour said.

A run of four successive birdies on the front nine however returned the overnight leader to the top before Fleetwood fought back again on a roller-coaster final day.

Rai, 30, rallied from a 14th hole bogey with birdies on 16 and 17 to pull level with Fleetwood heading down the 18th.

And though he missed a chance to win inside the regulation 72 holes, the British-Indian made no mistake with his birdie putt at the first extra hole to become a three-time DP World Tour winner.

His other India connection of course is wife and fellow professional golfer Gaurika Bishnoi, whom Rai married in July this year and caddied for at the recent Women’s Indian Open.

Hot run

Rai, who won his first Rolex Series title at the 2020 Scottish Open, had seven birdies – including four in a row from the fourth – and two bogeys in his closing 67 to reach 25 under par.

For his part, recent India winner Fleetwood (64-66-67-66) produced a bogey-free round that featured the eagle and four birdies.

Rai (66-64-66-67) started the week 55th on the season-long standings, needing a big week to make sure of his spot at the DP World Tour Championship, with the leading 50 available players qualifying. 

He now heads to the second event of the DP World Tour Play-Offs in ninth place in the rankings and as the most recent winner.

Race to Dubai leader Rory McIlroy shot a 10 under-par 62 to sit one shot behind Fleetwood and Rai in a tie for third alongside Nicolai Højgaard. 

The defending champion goes into the final event of the season with a 767.02 point lead over second placed Marco Penge as he aims to top the Rankings for the seventh time. 

Daniel Hillier and Richard Mansell were two shots further back on 22 under, with Nacho Elvira and Andy Sullivan at 21 under, and Penge, Angel Ayora and Robert MacIntyre rounding out the top ten at 20 under.

Full focus

Speaking about the win later, Rai said, “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 at the moment how this feels and how I’m going to reflect on it. 

“Just amazing to be stood here. 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. 

“My caddie, Jason, was great with me. Walking down the 15th, he played a big part in just helping me through that period. It was a little bit of a shock to miss that putt. 

“He just kind of helped me switch the focus and stay in the present, as cliché as that sounds, and to turn our attention to the shots ahead of us and the next few holes. He was the biggest part in that. 

“It’s been an amazing year off the course, first and foremost, with getting married, it’s been a beautiful year with a lot of beautiful celebrations. 

“And on the course, a very consistent year up until kind of Wentworth. It was great to play well at Wentworth, and obviously here to go one step further and to win this week. 

“A great year off the course and a great year on the course and one that I’ll always remember.”

Also read: Doting dad Fleetwood wins DP World India C’ship for son Frankie