Tommy Fleetwood remains hopeful of surpassing Aaron Rai at the Abu Dhabi Championship, despite praising his fellow competitor's impressive third-round performance. Fleetwood, a two-time winner of this
DP World Tour event in 2017 and 2018, scored 67 in the penultimate round. This placed him just one shot behind Rai. He managed an eagle and three birdies to close the gap on Rai, who had initially led by three shots with two holes left.
Fleetwood shares second place on 19-under with Nicolai Hojgaard. The Ryder Cup star is confident he can maintain his strong form in the final round. "I've been saying the whole time, I'm playing good golf at the moment, and I've found myself in this position a lot throughout the summer, but never take it for granted," he stated. "This is what we practise for. These are the times of our lives, and I'm enjoying it very much. "
Aaron Rai is aiming for his first DP World Tour title in five years after a third-round score of 66 brought him to 20 under par for the weekend. His only setback was a bogey on the 17th hole, but it didn't overshadow his excellent play on Saturday. Rai started strong with five birdies on the front nine, turning in 31. He added two more birdies after the turn to briefly hold a three-shot lead before his late slip.
Rai already has one Rolex Series win and understands the significance of another victory on Sunday. "This is a huge event. This is one of the biggest events we have on the DP World Tour," Rai remarked. "To win this week, to have a chance going into the weekend, is great. Still a long way to go and a lot of really good players. "
Andy Sullivan finds himself tied for fifth at 17-under, trailing Nacho Elvira by one shot but leading Irishman Shane Lowry and compatriot Jordan Smith by two strokes. Rory McIlroy and Tyrrell Hatton are among those another shot back. McIlroy's round faltered late as winds increased, despite making six birdies in his first 11 holes.
The five-time major winner scored 68 in both initial rounds but improved by two shots on Saturday with seven birdies and just one bogey to reach 14 under par. Although six shots behind Rai, McIlroy remains well-positioned to challenge if leaders stumble.
21 days on from winning in India, Tommy Fleetwood is heading into the final round one shot off the lead in Abu Dhabi. He's looking to claim back-to-back wins on the DP World Tour for the first time ever.#ADGolfChamps | #RolexSeries https://t.co/8KwJXcWmEh pic.twitter.com/kwrngjBvqW DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) November 8, 2025
Fleetwood expressed satisfaction with his patience during play amid many good scores around him and praised Aaron's exceptional performance across all areas: "He was unbelievable in every department. " As Fleetwood aims for consecutive wins following his recent victory in India, he looks forward to potentially achieving back-to-back successes on this tour for the first time ever.
The competition remains fierce as players prepare for an exciting final day at one of golf's most prestigious events within this tour circuit held annually here at Abu Dhabi Championship grounds where history awaits its next champion crowned soon enough!
