Rory McIlroy put together a brilliant final round at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, just missing out on the win.
The Northern Irishman began the day trailing 54-hole leader Aaron Rai by six shots, needing something special to get back into the mix.
McIlroy then delivered with a stunning 10-under 62, moving to -24 for the week and setting the clubhouse lead.
But both Rai and Tommy Fleetwood finished one shot better, forcing a playoff between them.
After walking off the 18th green with the lead, McIlroy shared what he said to caddie Harry Diamond at that moment.
Rory McIlroy posts best round of the season at Abu Dhabi
Even with everything McIlroy’s done this season, he had not put together a round better than what he produced on Sunday in Abu Dhabi.
He has always been comfortable playing in the Middle East, and once again showed up ready to play at Yas Links.
His strong showing put pressure on Rai and Fleetwood, who both needed to birdie their final three holes. However, they managed to get it done.
“I got off to a really good start; I was 3-under through two. I hit two great shots into the first, two great shots into the second, and converted. And then I stalled a little bit on the front nine. I birdied 7 to get to 4-under.
“I played the front nine very well this week, and then it was on the back nine that I couldn’t really get anything going. But I started the back nine with getting five birdies in a row. I drove it onto the 10th green again. I hit a couple of really good wedges in that stretch and knocked them in.
“Once I was 9-under through 14, I thought, ‘Okay, if I can post a number here.’ I knew 15, 16, and 17 were playing tough back into the wind off the left. I did hit a good wedge shot on 15; I just got caught out by the wind a bit.
“16 and 17, I watched the way Aaron and Tommy played those two holes, and they played them unbelievably well. Yeah, it’s just hard to make birdies on those holes, and I knew on 18, the one thing I said to Harry walking off the green is, ‘At least we are going to make them earn it no matter what happens.’
“Obviously, I ended up one short, but a 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,” he concluded.
Rory McIlroy full of confidence heading into DP World Tour Championship
McIlroy has every reason to be confident going into the DP World Tour Championship after his final-round 62 in Abu Dhabi.
The 36-year-old will be looking to carry that form over as he chases a seventh Race to Dubai title, and expectations will be high once again.
Marco Penge is likely to provide stiff competition, but McIlroy’s game is in a good place, and he knows the course as well as anyone.
“Yeah, I really like that golf course. It really suits me. It 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 of weeks off, and hopefully just produce more of the same next Thursday and onwards,” he stated.
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