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)
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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