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The 30-year-old golfer displayed exceptional composure to secure the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship on the final day, beating Tommy Fleetwood in a tense play-off after a rollercoaster last day of competition.

The Englishman nailed a decisive birdie from around eight foot to clinch the win, repeating his sole prior Rolex Series success at the Scottish Open in 2020, which was also a play-off win against the same opponent.

Sunday's Play Excitement

The champion entered the last day with a single stroke lead over fellow Englishman Tommy Fleetwood and Denmark’s Nicolai Højgaard. He ended up with a total score of 263 after a topsy-turvy, five-under final round that featured seven birdie putts and two bogeys.

The challenger edged one shot clear with two holes remaining after a birdie on the sixteenth, but Rai tied it up again on the seventeenth and then missed a 10-foot birdie putt to claim victory on the last hole.

Playoff Decider

This led to a play-off at the Yas Links course where Rai triumphed to take the championship and $1.5 million (£1.13m) in prize money.

{“Tommy is a world-class player and an even more person. To compete alongside him the last two days was really special,” stated Rai, the current 30th-ranked player globally. “You’re so concentrated on playing the round and maintaining focus, it’s hard to put into words at the present how it is. It is amazing to be holding the trophy.”

Other Performances

The Northern Irish star left himself a bit too far to do, finishing one shot behind in a tie for third with the Dane, after a stunning 10-under final round of ten-under. It was his lowest-ever round on the DP World Tour, including eight birdies and one eagle.

The Danish golfer carded six birdies of his as well, but his hopes of topping the leaderboard were dented by a bogey on the twelfth. English golfer Mansell hit an superb final-round seven-under to finish in a tie for fifth place with Australia’s Daniel Hillier.