ENGLAND’S TOMMY FLEETWOOD successfully defended his title at the $3 million Abu Dhabi Championship on Sunday, shooting a seven-under par 65 round to beat compatriot Ross Fisher by two shots.
The 27-year-old Southport resident made the turn at one-under par, but was on fire on the back nine. He made six birdies, including one on the closing 18th hole, to edge Fisher.
The back-nine heroics of Fleetwood, ranked 18th in the world and expected to rise to No10 when the new list is released Monday, included making a 25 feet putt for birdie on the 15th hole to tie for the lead with Fisher, and then a 50-feet birdie putt to take outright lead on the 16th hole.
Fisher (69) started the day in impressive fashion with an eagle on the second hole, courtesy a 45-feet putt, and was four-under at the turn. But on the back nine, he made a bogey on the 10th and a solitary birdie on the 16th hole to finish on 20-under par.
Last year, Fleetwood beat the reigning world No1 Dustin Johnson by one shot, kickstarting a successful season that culminated in him winning the European Tour’s Race to Dubai.
Johnson (70) finished on 14-under par this year, while former world No1 Rory McIlroy shot a 70 to tie for third place at 18-under par alongside Matthew Fitzpatrick (69).
Overnight joint leader Thomas Pieters (72) and winner of last week’s South African Open, England’s Chris Paisley (69) were tied fifth at 17-under 271.
Meanwhile, despite some promising moments over the course of the competition, Ireland’s Paul Dunne was well out of contention by the end, finishing 11 shots behind Fleetwood, as he shot a disappointing 74 in his final round.
Complete final-round scores in the $3 million Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship on Sunday at the par-72 National course of Abu Dhabi Golf Club:
266 – Tommy Fleetwood (ENG) 66-68-67-65
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268 – Ross Fisher (ENG) 67-67-65-69
270 – Matthew Fitzpatrick (ENG) 68-70-63-69, Rory McIlroy (NIR) 69-66-65-70
271 – Chris Paisley (ENG) 69-67-66-69, Thomas Pieters (BEL) 67-65-67-72
272 – Alexander Levy (FRA) 69-65-70-68
273 – Henrik Stenson (SWE) 70-68-70-65
274 – Fabrizio Zanotti (PAR) 67-69-68-70, Dustin Johnson (USA) 72-64-68-70, Paul Casey (ENG) 70-65-69-70, Andrew Johnston (ENG) 68-68-66-72, Thomas Detry (BEL) 70-68-64-72
277 – Richard Sterne (RSA) 68-72-67-70, Paul Dunne (IRE) 68-70-65-74, Dylan Frittelli (RSA) 69-67-67-74
278 – Wu Ashun (PRC) 71-67-72-68, Scott Hend (AUS) 71-69-69-69, Justin Rose (ENG) 71-71-67-69, Mikko Korhonen (FIN) 73-68-68-69, Kiradech Aphibarnrat (THA) 70-70-68-70
279 – Lasse Jensen (DEN) 70-71-70-69, Sengsu Han (USA) 73-67-69-70, Martin Kaymer (GER) 69-68-71-71
280 – Matteo Manassero (ITA) 70-71-70-69, Thomas Bjorn (DEN) 73-69-69-69
281 – Matt Wallace (ENG) 71-68-72-70, Robert Karlsson (SWE) 71-70-70-70, Matt Kuchar (USA) 72-70-69-70, Nicolas Colsaerts (BEL) 69-70-71-71, Benjamin Hebert (FRA) 72-68-69-72, Ryan Fox (NZL) 70-66-72-73, Kristofer Broberg (SWE) 69-69-70-73, Sam Brazel (AUS) 67-68-70-76
282 – Rafa Cabrera-Bello (ESP) 72-70-73-67, Adrian Otaegui (ESP) 70-69-73-70, Darren Fichardt (RSA) 73-67-71-71, Mike Lorenzo-Vera (FRA) 71-71-69-71, Byeong-hun An (KOR) 71-70-70-71, Richie Ramsay (SCO) 68-70-72-72, Mikko Ilonen (FIN) 68-74-67-73, Dean Burmester (RSA) 69-72-67-74
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No joy for McIlroy and Dunne in Abu Dhabi as hot back nine lands Fleetwood fresh title
ENGLAND’S TOMMY FLEETWOOD successfully defended his title at the $3 million Abu Dhabi Championship on Sunday, shooting a seven-under par 65 round to beat compatriot Ross Fisher by two shots.
The 27-year-old Southport resident made the turn at one-under par, but was on fire on the back nine. He made six birdies, including one on the closing 18th hole, to edge Fisher.
The back-nine heroics of Fleetwood, ranked 18th in the world and expected to rise to No10 when the new list is released Monday, included making a 25 feet putt for birdie on the 15th hole to tie for the lead with Fisher, and then a 50-feet birdie putt to take outright lead on the 16th hole.
Fisher (69) started the day in impressive fashion with an eagle on the second hole, courtesy a 45-feet putt, and was four-under at the turn. But on the back nine, he made a bogey on the 10th and a solitary birdie on the 16th hole to finish on 20-under par.
Last year, Fleetwood beat the reigning world No1 Dustin Johnson by one shot, kickstarting a successful season that culminated in him winning the European Tour’s Race to Dubai.
Johnson (70) finished on 14-under par this year, while former world No1 Rory McIlroy shot a 70 to tie for third place at 18-under par alongside Matthew Fitzpatrick (69).
Overnight joint leader Thomas Pieters (72) and winner of last week’s South African Open, England’s Chris Paisley (69) were tied fifth at 17-under 271.
Meanwhile, despite some promising moments over the course of the competition, Ireland’s Paul Dunne was well out of contention by the end, finishing 11 shots behind Fleetwood, as he shot a disappointing 74 in his final round.
Complete final-round scores in the $3 million Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship on Sunday at the par-72 National course of Abu Dhabi Golf Club:
266 – Tommy Fleetwood (ENG) 66-68-67-65
268 – Ross Fisher (ENG) 67-67-65-69
270 – Matthew Fitzpatrick (ENG) 68-70-63-69, Rory McIlroy (NIR) 69-66-65-70
271 – Chris Paisley (ENG) 69-67-66-69, Thomas Pieters (BEL) 67-65-67-72
272 – Alexander Levy (FRA) 69-65-70-68
273 – Henrik Stenson (SWE) 70-68-70-65
274 – Fabrizio Zanotti (PAR) 67-69-68-70, Dustin Johnson (USA) 72-64-68-70, Paul Casey (ENG) 70-65-69-70, Andrew Johnston (ENG) 68-68-66-72, Thomas Detry (BEL) 70-68-64-72
275 – Jorge Campillo (ESP) 69-64-72-70
276 – Tyrrell Hatton (ENG) 69-70-69-68, Jeughun Wang (KOR) 71-67-67-71, Bernd Wiesberger (AUT) 67-68-69-72, Branden Grace (RSA) 72-64-67-73
277 – Richard Sterne (RSA) 68-72-67-70, Paul Dunne (IRE) 68-70-65-74, Dylan Frittelli (RSA) 69-67-67-74
278 – Wu Ashun (PRC) 71-67-72-68, Scott Hend (AUS) 71-69-69-69, Justin Rose (ENG) 71-71-67-69, Mikko Korhonen (FIN) 73-68-68-69, Kiradech Aphibarnrat (THA) 70-70-68-70
279 – Lasse Jensen (DEN) 70-71-70-69, Sengsu Han (USA) 73-67-69-70, Martin Kaymer (GER) 69-68-71-71
280 – Matteo Manassero (ITA) 70-71-70-69, Thomas Bjorn (DEN) 73-69-69-69
281 – Matt Wallace (ENG) 71-68-72-70, Robert Karlsson (SWE) 71-70-70-70, Matt Kuchar (USA) 72-70-69-70, Nicolas Colsaerts (BEL) 69-70-71-71, Benjamin Hebert (FRA) 72-68-69-72, Ryan Fox (NZL) 70-66-72-73, Kristofer Broberg (SWE) 69-69-70-73, Sam Brazel (AUS) 67-68-70-76
282 – Rafa Cabrera-Bello (ESP) 72-70-73-67, Adrian Otaegui (ESP) 70-69-73-70, Darren Fichardt (RSA) 73-67-71-71, Mike Lorenzo-Vera (FRA) 71-71-69-71, Byeong-hun An (KOR) 71-70-70-71, Richie Ramsay (SCO) 68-70-72-72, Mikko Ilonen (FIN) 68-74-67-73, Dean Burmester (RSA) 69-72-67-74
283 – Soren Kjeldsen (DEN) 72-70-72-69, Alejandro Canizares (ESP) 71-71-71-70, Shubhankar Sharma (IND) 71-70-70-72, Joost Luiten (NED) 69-68-72-74, Jason Scrivener (AUS) 69-68-71-75
284 – Gary Stal (FRA) 72-69-74-69, Haydn Porteus (RSA) 72-70-71-71, Thorbjorn Olesen (DEN) 69-73-71-71, Carlos Pigem (ESP) 68-71-72-73, Joakim Lagergren (SWE) 69-73-69-73, Ricardo Gouveia (POR) 72-70-69-73, Nino Bertasio (ITA) 70-71-69-74, Andy Sullivan (ENG) 70-65-73-76
285 – Gregory Bourdy (FRA) 71-70-72-72, Alvaro Quiros (ESP) 70-72-71-72, Jordan Smith (ENG) 72-70-69-74, Lee Slattery (ENG) 69-72-69-75, Brandon Stone (RSA) 69-70-70-76, Stephen Gallacher (SCO) 68-72-69-76,
286 – Gregory Havret (FRA) 70-71-70-75,
288 _ Hideto Tanihara (JPN) 66-72-74-76,
289 – Lucas Bjerregaard (DEN) 72-69-73-75, Jacques Kruyswijk (RSA) 75-67-71-76
292 – Scott Vincent (ZIM) 69-70-73-80.
- © AFP 2018
The42 has just published its first book, Behind The Lines, a collection of some of the year’s best sports stories. Pick up your copy in Eason’s, or order it here today (€10):
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