Rory McIlroy narrowly missed out on the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship after ending one shot behind Tommy Fleetwood and Aaron Rai.
Rory McIlroy simply fell brief on the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship 2025 (Picture: Getty)
Rory McIlroy confirmed his true colors on the Yas Hyperlinks Golf Course on Sunday afternoon. The North Irishman narrowly missed out on the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship 2025, ending one shot off Tommy Fleetwood and Aaron Rai.
The duo locked horns on the Yas Hyperlinks Golf Course in a play-off after attaining a match file 25-under whole. As Fleetwood and Rai, who’ve beforehand clashed in a DP World Tour play-off, accomplished their rounds, McIlroy confirmed his class.
The five-time Main winner was gracious in defeat and provided his congratulations to the pair, assembly them each as they got here off the course, and he was filmed shaking Fleetwood’s hand.
The 2 Englishmen had beforehand gone head-to-head on the 2020 Scottish Open. Rai emerged victorious on that event, securing par on the primary further play-off gap whereas Fleetwood bogeyed. And it proved to be an identical story this time as Rai as soon as once more emerged victorious within the play-off.
McIlroy was feeling the strain earlier than falling brief on the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. Over the weekend, he admitted that he discovered it troublesome to remain composed as Rai set the tempo. As quoted by the Irish Examiner, McIlroy stated: “It looks like the final seven holes have not actually given me a lot this week.
“I made bogey on 14, making an attempt to go for the inexperienced, however completed nicely. I gave myself some possibilities. And yeah, it type of seems like every week that I left just a few on the market every single day. Even immediately, I felt like immediately was the very best that I performed.
“After 11, it may have been a extremely good spherical and stalled somewhat bit. That is the rationale that I am six again from Aaron and Nico at this level.”
McIlroy, who made his first skilled hole-in-one at this very course, continued: “You may maintain your foot on the pedal, however then if it isn’t fairly occurring, it is exhausting to remain affected person.
“That type of acquired me immediately by going for the inexperienced on 14 and placing it in a nasty spot and making bogey. Generally it’s exhausting to remain affected person if you’re seeing all the blokes behind you, 5-under by way of 9, and also you’re making an attempt to play catch up.
The day’s largest headlines in UK and World information Subscribe Invalid e mail
We use your sign-up to supply content material in methods you have consented to and to enhance our understanding of you. This may increasingly embrace adverts from us and third events based mostly on our understanding. You may unsubscribe at any time. Learn our Privateness Coverage
“It looks like to matter how nicely you play; they appear to maintain making birdies. That is the secret on this golf course. It type of has been for the previous couple of years.
“You are going to should shoot low scores to have an opportunity. I performed okay, however not fairly ok to get myself proper into rivalry this week.”
Leave a Reply