DATES: January 18-21

SITE: Abu Dhabi GC, Abu Dhabi, UAE

PRIZE MONEY: $3,000,000

Round 4 – Tommy Fleetwood retains Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship

January 21, 2018

Tommy Fleetwood successfully defended his Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship title on Sunday after a sensational back nine to clinch the win.

The 27-year-old Englishman, who celebrated his birthday on Friday, started the final round two shots behind overnight leaders Ross Fisher and Thomas Pieters, and an indifferent front nine saw him make the turn five shots behind Fisher as gusty winds hit the National course of Abu Dhabi Golf Club

But Fleetwood birdied the 10th, 12th, 13th, 15th, 16th and 18th holes for a seven-under par 65 round to finish on 22-under 267.

Fisher, 37, got off to a fast start when he made an eagle from 45 feet on the par-5 second hole and added two more birdies in his front nine. A bogey on the par-5 10th, which could have easily turned into a double if not for a 25-feet bogey putt, stalled his progress.

Playing two groups ahead of him, Fleetwood had birdied the 10th and 12th holes, but he saved his best golf for the next four holes. On the 13th, he was stymied behind a tree but hit his second shot from the desert to six feet.

The top-ranked European then rolled in a 25-feet putt on the par-3 15th to join Fisher at 20-under, before moving ahead with a 50-feet birdie putt on the 16th hole. He then picked up another shot on the 18th, which proved to be a luxury cushion when Fisher failed to make birdies on the 17th and 18th.

”I feel a lot more emotional, actually, than last year. I don’t know why. I just really wanted to win this one,” said Fleetwood, who is expected to advance from 18th to 11th in the rankings on Monday.

”I had the year of my life last year. I know everybody has been talking about it, and just backing it up is the next big thing, really. It’s a weird feeling coming to defend a trophy because it’s yours and you don’t want to give it away.”

Fleetwood added that the tough conditions made it easier for him to focus.

”I wouldn’t have known I shot 30 on the back nine when I came in. I was playing really well. I was hitting really good shots in. It was just a case of scoring being tough, and we had to keep going. It was sort of shot after shot.

”When the conditions are that tough and that windy, it actually helps you focus on each shot because there’s never any easy shots. Two days before, with flat calm conditions, it was way easier to look ahead.”

A disappointed Fisher, who was runner-up twice late in 2017 and is winless since the Tshwane Open in March 2014, praised Fleetwood’s perfomance.

”Hats off to Tommy. I don’t feel like I’ve lost a tournament. He’s gone out there and shot 65 and he’s won it, so all credit to him,” said Fisher.

McIlroy finished inside the top-five once again – his eighth top-five in nine Abu Dhabi starts – but he was happy with the result this time.

”It just felt great to get another tournament under my belt. It’s a great start to the year. I have no complaints. My body held up really well. My game was probably better than I expected it to be. So I’m really happy with the week,” said McIlroy who started well with two birdies in his first four holes, but could not get going on the back nine.

Pos.	Player	Nat	To Par	R1	R2	R3	R4	Total	Race to Dubai Points	Prize Money
1	FLEETWOOD Tommy	ENG	-22	66	68	67	65	266	500,000	€ 408,597
2	FISHER Ross	ENG	-20	67	67	65	69	268	333,330	€ 272,395
3	FITZPATRICK Matthew	ENG	-18	68	70	63	69	270	168,900	€ 138,024
3	MCILROY Rory	NIR	-18	69	66	65	70	270	168,900	€ 138,024

Click here for full scores & prize money.

Round 3 – Fisher and Pieters tied for lead, McIlroy 1-behind

January 20, 2018

Rory McIlroy fired a 7-under 65 Saturday in the third round of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship to sit one shot behind leaders Ross Fisher and Thomas Pieters.

Northern Ireland’s McIlroy is on 16-under 200 overall with the former world No. 1 playing his first event since October.

England’s Fisher also shot a 65, while overnight leader Pieters added a 67 to reach 17-under 199 on a low-scoring day in the absence of any wind at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club’s National Course.

Top-ranked Dustin Johnson (68) is five shots behind the leaders.

Defending champion Tommy Fleetwood (67) was tied fourth on 201 with Matthew Fitzpatrick, whose 9-under 63 is the lowest round of the tournament so far.

McIlroy finally dropped a shot in the tournament on the par-3 15th when he could not get out of the greenside bunker in one attempt. He made up for this with a chipped-in birdie on the 17th and added another on the par-5 18th.

McIlroy has never finished outside the top five in seven of his last eight starts here.

”I’ve had a lot of close calls here, I think about six top threes or something like that,” he said.

Fisher has been in good form since the second half of 2017, and has risen to 31st in the rankings. However, his last win came back at the 2014 Tshwane Open.

On Saturday, he started with three birdies in first four holes before dropping a shot on the fifth, and then played solid golf and made key par saves in his 65.

”I think a good momentum putt was probably the birdie on eighth,” Fisher said. ”We traded birdies, good shots, and just thoroughly enjoyed the guys’ company and look forward to doing it again tomorrow.”

Pieters was disappointed at not making a birdie on the par-5 18th hole to stay one ahead of Fisher.

”A lot of really good shots and then finished poorly,” the Belgian said. ”That was a terrible last hole.”

Johnson is tied for 12th with four other players after six birdies and two bogeys.

Pos.	Player	Nat	To Par	R1	R2	R3	Total
T1	Ross Fisher	ENG	-17	67	67	65	199
T1	Thomas Pieters	BEL	-17	67	65	67	199
3	Rory McIlroy	NIR	-16	69	66	65	200
T4	Matthew Fitzpatrick	ENG	-15	68	70	63	201
T4	Tommy Fleetwood	ENG	-15	66	68	67	201
T6	Andrew Johnston	ENG	-14	68	68	66	202
T6	Chris Paisley	ENG	-14	69	67	66	202
T6	Thomas Detry	BEL	-14	70	68	64	202
T9	Branden Grace	RSA	-13	72	64	67	203
T9	Dylan Frittelli	RSA	-13	69	67	67	203
T9	Paul Dunne	IRL	-13	68	70	65	203

Round 2 – Thomas Pieters takes Abu Dhabi lead

January 19, 2018

Thomas Pieters holed a bunker shot for a closing birdie and shot a second-round 65 to take a one-stroke lead at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship on Friday as top-ranked Dustin Johnson and Rory McIlroy moved into contention.

Johnson shook off the jet lag after his ragged opening-round 72 to shoot a bogey-free 8-under 64, tied for the low round of the tournament, and was four shots back. He won by eight shots two weeks ago at the Sentry Tournament of Champions in Hawaii.

”It was pretty easy for a 64. I did everything really well. I drove it well. I hit a lot of really good iron shots,” Johnson said. ”Hit a lot of good putts that didn’t go in the hole from pretty close range, but all day, I gave myself really good chances for birdies. Yeah, it was pretty stress-free.”

McIlroy, playing his first event since October, finished with an eagle on the par-5 18th and was three shots behind Pieters after a 66. The former world No. 1 is coming off a winless 2017 and plans a busy schedule in the run-up to the Masters. He’s a four-time runner-up in Abu Dhabi.

”I always struggle to read these greens, the color of them, and I feel like I’m hitting good putts and they are just sliding by the edges,” McIlroy said. ”But it was nice, I stayed patient and feel like I got what I deserved on the last for staying so patient, and it was nice to finish with a three, leapfrog a few guys and get myself into contention for the weekend.”

Jorge Campillo of Spain trailed Pieters by one shot after a 64. The defending champion and last year’s Race to Dubai winner, Tommy Fleetwood – grouped with Johnson and McIlroy on his 27th birthday – was another shot back, along with Alexander Levy and Ross Fisher.

Pos.	Player	Nat	To Par	R1	R2	Total
1	Thomas Pieters	BEL	-12	67	65	132
2	Jorge Campillo	ESP	-11	69	64	133
T3	Alexander Levy	FRA	-10	69	65	134
T3	Ross Fisher	ENG	-10	67	67	134
T3	Tommy Fleetwood	ENG	-10	66	68	134
T6	Andy Sullivan	ENG	-9	70	65	135
T6	Bernd Wiesberger	AUT	-9	67	68	135
T6	Paul Casey	ENG	-9	70	65	135
T6	Rory McIlroy	NIR	-9	69	66	135
T6	Sam Brazel	AUS	-9	67	68	135

Round 1 – McIlroy 3-strokes behind leaders Fleetwood and Tanihara

January 18, 2018

Rory McIlroy’s patience was tested Thursday on his comeback and he needed three late birdies to register a 3-under 69 that left him three strokes behind first-round leaders Tommy Fleetwood and Hideto Tanihara at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.

Starting on the 10th hole, McIlroy made 11 straight pars, which included a three-putt par on the par-5 18th.

Fleetwood, the defending Abu Dhabi champion and last year’s European Tour money-list winner, continued his excellent form by hitting all 18 greens in regulation.

There was a five-way tie for third place with Fabrizio Zanotti, Ross Fisher, Thomas Pieters, Bernd Wiesberger and Sam Brazel shooting 67s.

Top-ranked Dustin Johnson drove his ball into a lake at the ninth, his closing hole, to finish with a 72. Matt Kuchar was also on level-par while Justin Rose went one better with a 71.

McIlroy, who hit 17 greens in regulation, collected his first birdie of the day by making an uphill 15-foot putt at the third and made further birdies at the seventh and eighth.

”First competitive round in over 100 days so it’s a little bit different,” said McIlroy, who last played at the Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland on Oct. 8. ”But I did well. I stayed patient.

”I gave myself loads of chances. Really pleased. I played very solid. I think I only missed one or two greens, drove the ball well and the iron play was pretty good. So just need to keep doing that over the next three days and I should have a chance.”

Fleetwood said he had control of his ball throughout.

”It was very good . very stress-free,” he said. ”Played really well from start to finish.

”Felt like I did what you need to do well around this golf course, which is drive it well, hit your irons, but you can’t really be too greedy all the time. My pace putting was really good. (Hitting) 18 greens doesn’t happen very often so nice to do it around here.”

Pos.	Player	Nat	To Par	R1
T1	Hideto Tanihara	JPN	-6	66
T1	Tommy Fleetwood	ENG	-6	66
T3	Bernd Wiesberger	AUT	-5	67
T3	Fabrizio Zanotti	PAR	-5	67
T3	Ross Fisher	ENG	-5	67
T3	Sam Brazel	AUS	-5	67
T3	Thomas Pieters	BEL	-5	67
T8	Andrew Johnston	ENG	-4	68
T8	Carlos Pigem	ESP	-4	68
T8	Matthew Fitzpatrick	ENG	-4	68
T8	Mikko Ilonen	FIN	-4	68
T8	Oliver Fisher	ENG	-4	68
T8	Paul Dunne	IRL	-4	68
T8	Richard Sterne	RSA	-4	68
T8	Richie Ramsay	SCO	-4	68
T8	Stephen Gallacher	SCO	-4	68

Scores

Pos.	Player	Nat	To Par	R1	R2	R3	R4	Total	Race to Dubai Points	Prize Money
1	FLEETWOOD Tommy	ENG	-22	66	68	67	65	266	500,000	€ 408,597
2	FISHER Ross	ENG	-20	67	67	65	69	268	333,330	€ 272,395
3	FITZPATRICK Matthew	ENG	-18	68	70	63	69	270	168,900	€ 138,024
3	MCILROY Rory	NIR	-18	69	66	65	70	270	168,900	€ 138,024
5	PAISLEY Chris	ENG	-17	69	67	66	69	271	116,100	€ 94,876
5	PIETERS Thomas	BEL	-17	67	65	67	72	271	116,100	€ 94,876
7	LEVY Alexander	FRA	-16	69	65	70	68	272	90,000	€ 73,547
8	STENSON Henrik	SWE	-15	70	68	70	65	273	75,000	€ 61,290
9	CASEY Paul	ENG	-14	70	65	69	70	274	56,460	€ 46,139
9	DETRY Thomas	BEL	-14	70	68	64	72	274	56,460	€ 46,139
9	JOHNSON Dustin	USA	-14	72	64	68	70	274	56,460	€ 46,139
9	JOHNSTON Andrew	ENG	-14	68	68	66	72	274	56,460	€ 46,139
9	ZANOTTI Fabrizio	PAR	-14	67	69	68	70	274	56,460	€ 46,139
14	CAMPILLO Jorge	ESP	-13	69	64	72	70	275	45,900	€ 37,509
15	GRACE Branden	RSA	-12	72	64	67	73	276	41,400	€ 33,832
15	HATTON Tyrrell	ENG	-12	69	70	69	68	276	41,400	€ 33,832
15	WANG Jeunghun	KOR	-12	71	67	67	71	276	41,400	€ 33,832
15	WIESBERGER Bernd	AUT	-12	67	68	69	72	276	41,400	€ 33,832
19	DUNNE Paul	IRL	-11	68	70	65	74	277	36,000	€ 29,419
19	FRITTELLI Dylan	RSA	-11	69	67	67	74	277	36,000	€ 29,419
19	STERNE Richard	RSA	-11	68	72	67	70	277	36,000	€ 29,419
22	APHIBARNRAT Kiradech	THA	-10	70	70	68	70	278	32,100	€ 26,232
22	HEND Scott	AUS	-10	71	69	69	69	278	32,100	€ 26,232
22	KORHONEN Mikko	FIN	-10	73	68	68	69	278	32,100	€ 26,232
22	ROSE Justin	ENG	-10	71	71	67	69	278	32,100	€ 26,232
22	WU Ashun	CHN	-10	71	67	72	68	278	32,100	€ 26,232
27	HAN Seungsu	USA	-9	73	67	69	70	279	28,500	€ 23,290
27	JENSEN Lasse	DEN	-9	70	71	70	68	279	28,500	€ 23,290
27	KAYMER Martin	GER	-9	69	68	71	71	279	28,500	€ 23,290
30	BJØRN Thomas	DEN	-8	73	69	69	69	280	26,250	€ 21,451
30	MANASSERO Matteo	ITA	-8	70	71	70	69	280	26,250	€ 21,451
32	BRAZEL Sam	AUS	-7	67	68	70	76	281	22,313	€ 18,234
32	BROBERG Kristoffer	SWE	-7	69	69	70	73	281	22,313	€ 18,234
32	COLSAERTS Nicolas	BEL	-7	69	70	71	71	281	22,313	€ 18,234
32	FOX Ryan	NZL	-7	70	66	72	73	281	22,313	€ 18,234
32	HEBERT Benjamin	FRA	-7	72	68	69	72	281	22,313	€ 18,234
32	KARLSSON Robert	SWE	-7	71	70	70	70	281	22,313	€ 18,234
32	KUCHAR Matt	USA	-7	72	70	69	70	281	22,313	€ 18,234
32	WALLACE Matt	ENG	-7	71	68	72	70	281	22,313	€ 18,234
40	AN Byeong Hun	KOR	-6	71	70	70	71	282	17,400	€ 14,219
40	BURMESTER Dean	RSA	-6	69	72	67	74	282	17,400	€ 14,219
40	CABRERA BELLO Rafa	ESP	-6	72	70	73	67	282	17,400	€ 14,219
40	FICHARDT Darren	RSA	-6	73	67	71	71	282	17,400	€ 14,219
40	ILONEN Mikko	FIN	-6	68	74	67	73	282	17,400	€ 14,219
40	LORENZO-VERA Mike	FRA	-6	71	71	69	71	282	17,400	€ 14,219
40	OTAEGUI Adrian	ESP	-6	70	69	73	70	282	17,400	€ 14,219
40	RAMSAY Richie	SCO	-6	68	70	72	72	282	17,400	€ 14,219
48	CAÑIZARES Alejandro	ESP	-5	71	71	71	70	283	13,500	€ 11,032
48	KJELDSEN Søren	DEN	-5	72	70	72	69	283	13,500	€ 11,032
48	LUITEN Joost	NED	-5	69	68	72	74	283	13,500	€ 11,032
48	SCRIVENER Jason	AUS	-5	69	68	71	75	283	13,500	€ 11,032
48	SHARMA Shubhankar	IND	-5	71	70	70	72	283	13,500	€ 11,032
53	BERTASIO Nino	ITA	-4	70	71	69	74	284	9,825	€ 8,029
53	GOUVEIA Ricardo	POR	-4	72	70	69	73	284	9,825	€ 8,029
53	LAGERGREN Joakim	SWE	-4	69	73	69	73	284	9,825	€ 8,029
53	OLESEN Thorbjørn	DEN	-4	69	73	71	71	284	9,825	€ 8,029
53	PIGEM Carlos	ESP	-4	68	71	72	73	284	9,825	€ 8,029
53	PORTEOUS Haydn	RSA	-4	72	70	71	71	284	9,825	€ 8,029
53	STAL Gary	FRA	-4	72	69	74	69	284	9,825	€ 8,029
53	SULLIVAN Andy	ENG	-4	70	65	73	76	284	9,825	€ 8,029
61	BOURDY Grégory	FRA	-3	71	70	72	72	285	7,350	€ 6,006
61	GALLACHER Stephen	SCO	-3	68	72	69	76	285	7,350	€ 6,006
61	QUIROS Alvaro	ESP	-3	70	72	71	72	285	7,350	€ 6,006
61	SLATTERY Lee	ENG	-3	69	72	69	75	285	7,350	€ 6,006
61	SMITH Jordan	ENG	-3	72	70	69	74	285	7,350	€ 6,006
61	STONE Brandon	RSA	-3	69	70	70	76	285	7,350	€ 6,006
67	HAVRET Grégory	FRA	-2	70	71	70	75	286	6,300	€ 5,148
68	TANIHARA Hideto	JPN	0	66	72	74	76	288	6,000	€ 4,903
69	BJERREGAARD Lucas	DEN	1	72	69	73	75	289	5,585	€ 4,564
69	KRUYSWIJK Jacques	RSA	1	75	67	71	76	289	5,585	€ 4,564
71	VINCENT Scott	ZIM	4	69	70	73	80	292	4,500	€ 3,677
72	AIKEN Thomas	RSA	-1	70	73	0	0	143	0	€ 0
72	BJÖRK Alexander	SWE	-1	69	74	0	0	143	0	€ 0
72	BROOKS Daniel	ENG	-1	72	71	0	0	143	0	€ 0
72	COETZEE George	RSA	-1	72	71	0	0	143	0	€ 0
72	DONALDSON Jamie	WAL	-1	73	70	0	0	143	0	€ 0
72	DRYSDALE David	SCO	-1	72	71	0	0	143	0	€ 0
72	FISHER Oliver	ENG	-1	68	75	0	0	143	0	€ 0
72	HANSON Peter	SWE	-1	70	73	0	0	143	0	€ 0
72	JACQUELIN Raphaël	FRA	-1	72	71	0	0	143	0	€ 0
72	JAIDEE Thongchai	THA	-1	73	70	0	0	143	0	€ 0
72	KIEFFER Maximilian	GER	-1	73	70	0	0	143	0	€ 0
72	PARATORE Renato	ITA	-1	76	67	0	0	143	0	€ 0
72	POULTER Ian	ENG	-1	75	68	0	0	143	0	€ 0
72	ROMERO Andres	ARG	-1	72	71	0	0	143	0	€ 0
72	WALL Anthony	ENG	-1	72	71	0	0	143	0	€ 0
72	WARING Paul	ENG	-1	70	73	0	0	143	0	€ 0
72	WESTWOOD Lee	ENG	-1	74	69	0	0	143	0	€ 0
89	CHESTERS Ashley	ENG	0	70	74	0	0	144	0	€ 0
89	HORSEY David	ENG	0	72	72	0	0	144	0	€ 0
89	LIPSKY David	USA	0	71	73	0	0	144	0	€ 0
89	MCDOWELL Graeme	NIR	0	70	74	0	0	144	0	€ 0
89	MOLINARI Edoardo	ITA	0	74	70	0	0	144	0	€ 0
89	NORRIS Jason	AUS	0	73	71	0	0	144	0	€ 0
89	ORMSBY Wade	AUS	0	73	71	0	0	144	0	€ 0
89	PEPPERELL Eddie	ENG	0	72	72	0	0	144	0	€ 0
97	BLAND Richard	ENG	1	74	71	0	0	145	0	€ 0
97	CONNELLY Austin	CAN	1	72	73	0	0	145	0	€ 0
97	IMMELMAN Trevor	RSA	1	69	76	0	0	145	0	€ 0
97	LARRAZÁBAL Pablo	ESP	1	71	74	0	0	145	0	€ 0
97	LI Haotong	CHN	1	73	72	0	0	145	0	€ 0
97	ROCK Robert	ENG	1	74	71	0	0	145	0	€ 0
97	SHINKWIN Callum	ENG	1	73	72	0	0	145	0	€ 0
104	DECHAMBEAU Bryson	USA	2	74	72	0	0	146	0	€ 0
104	JAMIESON Scott	SCO	2	75	71	0	0	146	0	€ 0
104	LAWRIE Paul	SCO	2	74	72	0	0	146	0	€ 0
104	LEE Soomin	KOR	2	74	72	0	0	146	0	€ 0
104	PAVON Matthieu	FRA	2	77	69	0	0	146	0	€ 0
104	SOUTHGATE Matthew	ENG	2	74	72	0	0	146	0	€ 0
104	STORM Graeme	ENG	2	74	72	0	0	146	0	€ 0
104	WARREN Marc	SCO	2	73	73	0	0	146	0	€ 0
104	WATTEL Romain	FRA	2	69	77	0	0	146	0	€ 0
113	ELVIRA Nacho	ESP	3	74	73	0	0	147	0	€ 0
113	LOMBARD Zander	RSA	3	73	74	0	0	147	0	€ 0
113	MORRISON James	ENG	3	75	72	0	0	147	0	€ 0
116	DODT Andrew	AUS	4	76	72	0	0	148	0	€ 0
116	ELS Ernie	RSA	4	76	72	0	0	148	0	€ 0
116	SIEM Marcel	GER	4	75	73	0	0	148	0	€ 0
119	BUCHANAN Tom	SCO	5	74	75	0	0	149	0	€ 0
120	HANSON Chris	ENG	6	71	79	0	0	150	0	€ 0
120	KHONGWATMAI Phachara	THA	6	77	73	0	0	150	0	€ 0
120	WOOD Chris	ENG	6	74	76	0	0	150	0	€ 0
123	OLAZÁBAL José María	ESP	7	78	73	0	0	151	0	€ 0
124	KIRKWOOD (AM) Dan	ENG	11	74	81	0	0	155	0	€ 0
125	AL MUSHARREKH Ahmed	UAE	22	86	80	0	0	166	0	€ 0
126	IM Daniel	USA	0	70	0	0	0	70	0	€ 0