“This was a great confidence-builder for Dubai” — McIlroy blasts stunning 62 to finish joint third in Abu Dhabi
Rory McIlroy plays his shot on the 10th hole during the first round of the 2025 U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club in Oakmont, Pa. on Thursday, June 12, 2025. (Logan Whitton/USGA)
Rory McIlroy showed just why he's considered the most exciting player in the game when he blasted a ten-under 62 to threaten the leaders before finishing tied for third behind playoff winner Aaron Rai in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.
As Rai birdied two of his last three holes to catch Tommy Fleetwood before beating his English compatriot with a birdie at the first extra hole, McIlroy made a sensational Sunday charge for the title.
He came up short in the end but still claimed his 10th top-three finish in the event in 14 starts and stretched his Race to Dubai lead over Marco Penge.
"Obviously ended up one short but great day of golf, and a great way to end the week, and also a great way to sort of go into next week in Dubai, as well," said McIlroy, who heads to next week's DP World Tour Championship feeling upbeat about his chances of claiming his seventh Harry Vardon Trophy and his fourth in a row.
He was six strokes behind Rai with 18 holes to play and needed a miracle to have any chance of threatening the leaders.
But he dug deep to card his low round this year as he started birdie-eagle, then birdied the par-five fifth to turn in 32.
With Penge closing with a 63 to finish on 20-under, McIlroy rose to the challenge and made five birdies in a row at the start of the back nine to go in front of his rival and did not ease off.
"Yeah, I saw he really got it going at the start of the back nine there. I saw he was at like 20-under, and then I think he dropped back, and then he birdied the last," said McIlroy, who tied for third with Denmark's Nicolai Hojgaard (67) on 24 under.
"I just tried to keep my foot down and make as many birdies as possible, knowing that, okay, I'm trying to win this tournament, but also give myself the biggest cushion possible going into Dubai next week, as well."
Aaron Rai of England lifts the trophy on the 18th green following victory on day four of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship 2025 at Yas Links Golf Course on November 09, 2025 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Luke Walker/Getty Images)
He came to the 18th needing an eagle to take the solo lead, but still made birdie to tie with Fleetwood, who still had three holes to play.
While the FedEx Cup champion birdied the 16th to take the solo lead, Rai matched his birdie there to remain in touch, then made a 20-footer for a two at the 17th to tie.
Fleetwood had to follow Rai in from 18 feet for par to send them to the last tied on 25 under.
But after Fleetwood missed from 20 feet for birdie at the last and Rai misread a 15-footer for the title, he made amends on their return to the 18th for the playoff.
After Fleetwood missed from 12 feet for birdie, Rai made no mistake, brushing in a nine-footer to capture his second Rolex Series title and move up to ninth in the Race to Dubai.
McIlroy has a sizable 767.02-point lead over Penge, up from 442 points heading to Abu Dhabi.
While there are 3,500 points on offer for the winner at Jumeirah Golf Estates, he's upbeat about his chances of getting to within one of Colin Montgomerie's eight Harry Vardon Trophy victories.
"Yeah, I really like that golf course," McIlroy said of the Earth Course, where he has won three times.
"It really suits me. Probably suits me a little bit better than this course does this week, just in terms of what you need to do off the tee and into the greens.
"Yeah, look, this was a great confidence-builder this week coming off a couple weeks off and hopefully just produce more of the same next Thursday and onwards."
As for Rai, he was thrilled to hold off Fleetwood, carding a 67 to the Ryder Cup star's 66 to tie before making that clutch birdie in the playoff.
"It's hard to sum up," Rai said. "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."
He added: “Any time you win on the DP World Tour, it's a real accomplishment. The fields are strong. There's so much work that goes into a tournament and so much work that goes into weeks away from the tournament. To win a Rolex Series event, an event the size of this tournament, this strong of a field is really special. Yeah, amazing to be here.
Obviously it's a slightly different scenario because it's just between two players but you still have to play a good hole regardless. It does feel different, but as much as we can stay in our process tried to do 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.”
Shane Lowry shot 68 to tie for 12th on 19-under while Tom McKibbin was 66th on three-under after a 72.
McIlroy and McKibbin will be joined in Dubai by Lowry, who can win money but no ranking points after he failed to qualify automatically for the last two playoff events and needed to use his Ryder Cup team membership to get a place in those fields.
