Rahm pips Hatton & McIlroy to Abu Dhabi title

Published7 hours ago

Abu Dhabi Championship final-round leaderboard

-23 J Rahm (Spa); -21 T Hatton (Eng); -19 R McIlroy (NI); -17 F Laporta (Ita); -16 B Wiesberger (Aut), A Ayora (Spa), D Puig (Spa); -15 J Schaper (SA)

Selected others: -14 N Kimsey (Eng), M Jordan (Eng); -13 S Bairstow (Eng), T Fleetwood (Eng), A Sullivan (Eng); -12 E Ferguson (Sco); -11 E Chacarra (Spa); -10 A Rai (Eng); -9 M Wallace (Eng); -4 P Reed (US)

Full leaderboard

Jon Rahm fired a final-round 67 to clinch a two-shot victory over England's Tyrrell Hatton at the Abu Dhabi Championship.

It was a first victory for the two-time major winner since he announced his departure from LIV Golf, and a first win at a DP World Tour event in four years.

The Spaniard, in his first tournament since the birth of his fourth child last month, produced six birdies with just one dropped shot on Sunday to finish clear of Hatton with Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy another two strokes further back.

"It means a lot. It's been quite a while to play well in the DP World Tour," Rahm told Sky Sports.

"Except a shot on 17, as far as I'm concerned, I played a pretty flawless back nine. It was really solid, never in danger of making a bogey except that one hole.

"After everything that has gone on, some poor play and some battles mentally with a lot of noise, to come back out after a bit of a break and a new addition to the family, it's pretty special."

Having finished at the very bottom of the leaderboard at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth in his last appearance, Rahm joked that going "last to first" was especially pleasing.

For McIlroy, his third-placed finish was enough to ensure he goes into next week's season-finale at the DP World Tour Championship sitting second in the Race To Dubai standings as he seeks a record-equalling eighth win.

The 37-year-old, who was given a two-shot penalty in his first round, leapfrogged American Patrick Reed and now trails only Spain's Eugenio Chacarra in his bid to match Colin Montgomerie's eight season-long titles.

Despite starting the week outside the top 50, Rahm's victory ensured he remained in the hunt too should he be able to go back-to-back in Dubai.

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Rahm holds nerve as challengers falter

Rahm had taken an overnight lead of a single stroke into Sunday after a third-round 66.

His Ryder Cup team-mates Hatton and McIlroy, as well as Italian Francesco Laporta, managed to carry the chase into the back nine on Sunday.

Laporta, chasing a maiden DP World Tour success, produced three birdies on the front nine to make the turn in a tie with playing partner Rahm.

McIlroy, in the group further ahead, picked up a pair of shots on the 11th and 12th to join them on 20 under.

Across the closing stretch, however, Rahm's challengers fell away.

After he matched McIlroy's birdie at the par-five 12th, the six-time major winner missed a birdie putt on the 13th before dropping a shot on the 15th thanks to a wayward approach.

He would finish with a three-under 69 on the day to seal his 11th top-three finish at a tournament he still has yet to win.

Having left the 11th green four under for his day, Laporta dropped four shots in two holes to tumble out of contention.

The 36-year-old, who led after the second round, finished in fourth, six shots off the pace.

Hatton, whose final-round 68 included four birdies and 14 pars, briefly closed the gap to a single shot on the 15th, but Rahm matched the Englishman's birdie moments later with a three-foot putt following a brilliant six iron on to the green.

While there was a further chance to increase the pressure on the leader heading to the final hole, Hatton's 24-foot birdie putt came up inches short on the 17th, before Rahm's par putt dropped from under five feet.

Race To Dubai leader Chacarra finished on 11 under in a three-way tie for 22nd, while Reed ended on four under.

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