Aaron Rai leads by one stroke in Abu Dhabi, followed by Hojgaard and Fleetwood

Aaron Rai heads into the final round of the Abu Dhabi Championship with a one-stroke lead, seeking his first European Tour title in five years. On a day of low scores at Yas Links, Rai carded a 6-under-par 66 in the third round, bringing his total to 20-under-par in this penultimate event of the 2025 season.

Nicolai Hojgaard (65) and Tommy Fleetwood (67), winner in 2017 and 2018 when the event was held at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club, are tied for second place, while Nacho Elvira (65) is one stroke behind.

Rory McIlroy, second in the world rankings and leader of the Race to Dubai standings, moved closer to the contest with six birdies in his first 11 holes, but his round stalled at the end due to increasing wind, finishing with a 66 for a total of 14 under par, six strokes behind the leader.

Rai's last European Tour victory was at the 2020 Scottish Open. The Englishman, ranked 30th, also won the Wyndham Championship on the PGA Tour last August.

“This is one of the most important events we have on the DP World Tour,” Rai commented. “Winning this week and having the opportunity to compete this weekend is great. There’s still a long way to go, and there are a lot of really good players.”.

Rai made birdies on five holes of his front nine and added more on holes 11 and 14, although he made a bogey on the 17th after a three putt and finished with a par on the par 18th hole.

Fleetwood, who could be the biggest threat to Rai, has had a remarkable end to the season, including a victory at the Tour Championship, his first PGA Tour title, as well as winning $10 million as FedEx Cup champion, and the India Championship, in addition to shining at the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black.

“I’m playing some really good golf right now, and I’ve found myself in this position many times over the summer, but you should never take it for granted,” Fleetwood said. “This is what we practice for. These are the moments of our lives, and I’m really enjoying it.”.

Fleetwood praised Rai's game: "He played phenomenally. He was incredible today in every aspect," he said.