Aaron holds his nerve to claim playoff victory over Fleetwood

AARON RAI overcame a shocking short miss with a pair of late birdies to beat Tommy Fleetwood on the first playoff hole at the Abu Dhabi Championship.

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Rai returned from a two-month break to win for the first time this year and pick up his third European tour title - his first since defeating Fleetwood in the 2020 Scottish Open.

“It’s hard to sum up (my emotions)’ said Rai, “Youre so focused on playing the round and staying in the zone, it’s hard to put into words at the moment how it feels. It is amazing to be stood here.

“Tommy is a phenomenal player and an even better person, and that says a lot. To play with him the last two days was really special”

Fleetwood (circle, right) was aiming for a third title worldwide in what already has been a memorable season that included a 4-1 record in a winning European Ryder Cup team in America.