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Aaron Rai displayed exceptional composure to claim the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship on the final day, beating his compatriot in a tense playoff following a rollercoaster final round of play.

Rai nailed a decisive birdie from around eight feet to clinch the win, repeating his only previous tournament triumph at the 2020 Scottish Open, which was likewise a play-off victory against the same opponent.

Sunday's Play Excitement

The champion started the last day with a single stroke lead over countryman Tommy Fleetwood and Denmark’s Nicolai Højgaard. He finished with a overall score of twenty-under after a up-and-down, five-under closing round that featured seven birdie putts and a pair of bogeys.

The challenger moved a stroke ahead with two holes remaining after a birdie putt on the sixteenth, but Rai pulled level again on the seventeenth and then missed a 10-foot birdie putt to claim victory on the final green.

Playoff Decider

This set up a playoff at the Yas Links course where the eventual winner prevailed to take the championship and $1.5m (£1.13m) in winnings.

{“Tommy is a world-class player and an even better person. To compete alongside him the final two rounds was really special,” said the winner, the present world No 30. “You’re so focused on playing the round and staying in the zone, it’s difficult to put into words at the moment how it feels. It is incredible to be stood here.”

Notable Contenders

The Northern Irish star left himself just too much to do, coming up a stroke short in a tie for third with the Dane, after a stunning 10-under closing round of ten-under. It was McIlroy’s lowest-ever round on the DP World Tour, comprising eight birdies and an eagle.

The Danish golfer carded six birdies of his own, but his hopes of topping the standings were dented by a dropped shot on the 12th. English golfer Mansell hit an excellent last round 63 to end up in a tie for fifth place with Australian Daniel Hillier.