Pablo Larrazabal wins Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship

Spain's Pablo Larrazabal held off Rory McIlroy and Phil Mickelson to win the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club by a single shot.

Pablo Larrazabal wins Abu Dhabi Championship
Fergus Bisset
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published

Spain's Pablo Larrazabal held off Rory McIlroy and Phil Mickelson to win the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club by a single shot.

Larrazabal fired a closing round of 67 to end the week one clear of McIlroy and Mickelson and claim his third European Tour title, his first since 2011.

"It feels great," said Larrazabal. "Only my team and I know how much we've worked through the last three years."

The Spaniard began the final round three shots behind Craig Lee. But the Scot stumbled early in his round with bogeys at the fourth and fifth holes, throwing the tournament wide open. Lee eventually closed with a disappointing 77 to end the week in a tie for 10th place.

Larrazabal was one of a number of players in contention through the front nine, before 2013 Open champion Phil Mickelson took to the front with three birdies in his first 10 holes.

But Mickelson came unstuck at the 13th when he attempted to play back-handed from under a bush. He caught the ball twice with that stroke then required a penalty drop. In the end he walked off the hole with a triple-bogey seven.

Larrazabal took advantage of Mickelson's slip and closed with a birdie four to set a clubhouse total of 14-under-par. The American fought back valiantly and gave himself a chance to tie Larrazabal with an eagle at the 72nd hole. He found the par-5 green in two but was unable to convert the eagle putt and finished one shot back.

Rory McIlroy also came up just shy and was left to consider what might have been, after a string of missed birdie efforts.

"It's frustrating as I played well all week," he said. "It's been a very positive week though and I'll give it another run in Dubai."

The European Tour stays in the Middle East for the next two weeks with the Qatar Masters then the Dubai Desert Classic.

Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship Abu Dhabi Golf Club, Abu Dhabi, UAE Jan 16-19, purse €1,971,000, par 72

1   Pablo Larrazabal (Esp)   69   70   68   67   274   €328,779 T2   Rory McIlroy (NIR)   70   67   70   68   275   €171,338 T2   Phil Mickelson (USA)   73   70   63   69   275   €171,338 T4   Rafa Cabrera-Bello (Esp) 67   68   73   68   276   €91,138 T4   George Coetzee (RSA)   68   70   72   66   276   €91,138 6   Joost Luiten (Ned)   68   70   72   68   278   €69,044 7   Johan Carlsson (Swe)   73   70   71   65   279   €59,180 T8   Stephen Gallacher (Sco) 70   73   68   69   280   €46,752 T8   Robert Karlsson (Swe)   73   67   72   68   280   €46,752

Note: Player score in bold signifies Titleist ball usage Where next? PGA Tour - Patrick Reed wins Humana Challenge

Fergus Bisset
Fergus Bisset
Contributing Editor

Fergus is Golf Monthly's resident expert on the history of the game and has written extensively on that subject. He has also worked with Golf Monthly to produce a podcast series. Called 18 Majors: The Golf History Show it offers new and in-depth perspectives on some of the most important moments in golf's long history. You can find all the details about it here.

He is a golf obsessive and 1-handicapper. Growing up in the North East of Scotland, golf runs through his veins and his passion for the sport was bolstered during his time at St Andrews university studying history. He went on to earn a post graduate diploma from the London School of Journalism. Fergus has worked for Golf Monthly since 2004 and has written two books on the game; "Great Golf Debates" together with Jezz Ellwood of Golf Monthly and the history section of "The Ultimate Golf Book" together with Neil Tappin , also of Golf Monthly.

Fergus once shanked a ball from just over Granny Clark's Wynd on the 18th of the Old Course that struck the St Andrews Golf Club and rebounded into the Valley of Sin, from where he saved par. Who says there's no golfing god?

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