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The 30-year-old golfer demonstrated remarkable nerve to secure the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship on Sunday, beating Tommy Fleetwood in a tense playoff following a rollercoaster final round of competition.

Rai nailed a crucial birdie putt from just over eight feet to seal the win, repeating his only previous tournament triumph at the Scottish Open in 2020, which was also a play-off victory over Fleetwood.

Sunday's Play Drama

Rai entered the final round with a single stroke advantage over countryman Fleetwood and Denmark’s Nicolai Højgaard. He finished with a overall score of twenty-under after a up-and-down, five-under final round that featured seven birdie putts and two bogeys.

The challenger edged a stroke clear with the 16th and 17th to play after a birdie on the sixteenth, but his rival pulled level again on the seventeenth and then missed a 10-foot birdie attempt to claim victory on the final green.

Play-Off Decider

This led to a playoff at Yas Links where Rai triumphed to take the championship and $1.5m (£1.13m) in winnings.

{“Tommy is a world-class golfer and an even more person. To play with him the last two days was truly memorable,” said Rai, the current world No 30. “You’re so focused on playing the round and staying in the zone, it’s hard to put into words at the present how it feels. It is amazing to be stood here.”

Other Performances

The Northern Irish star left himself just too much to make up, finishing a stroke behind in a shared third place with Højgaard, after a spectacular 62 final round of ten-under. It was McIlroy’s lowest-ever score on the DP World Tour, including eight birdies and one eagle.

The Danish golfer carded six birdie putts of his as well, but his chances of topping the leaderboard were dented by a bogey on the twelfth. England’s Mansell hit an superb final-round 63 to end up tied for fifth with Australia’s Daniel Hillier.