Aaron Rai is a one-time PGA Tour and two-time DP World Tour winner. But on Sunday in Abu Dhabi, Rai will be fighting some of the game’s best players for what would likely be the biggest win of his career. And that’s in large part to one incredible swing on Friday that ended in an albatross.
Here’s what you need to know.
Aaron Rai holes out for rare albatross
To say Rai started off his second round of the 2025 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship with a bang would be a major understatement.
After an opening-round 66 left him at six under, Rai quickly made an easy par at the 1st. Then he provided some serious fireworks at the 2nd.
Yas Links’ par-5 2nd was playing 528 yards on Friday. That may be long for your average recreational golfer, but it’s very reachable for the pros. Rai smacked his drive 322 yards into the middle of the fairway. That set him up with a 214-yard shot to reach the pin.
Hoping to set up a good look at eagle, Rai did one better. He sent his shot soaring through the air, then watched as it landed on the green and rolled on a perfect line into the cup for an albatross.
“I think we had about 185 yards to the front. The wind was a little bit down off the left, and that green was so fast, it slopes front to back, pitching a few yards on to the green,” Rai said, explaining the shot after his round. “Actually caught it a little bit clean off the face, the line was great. Finished around the front edge and chased its way down there. You couldn’t see it from the back of the fairway, so it was a nice surprise.”
The three-under score on a single hole improved Rai’s score to nine under in an instant.
Rai maintains lead with Fleetwood, McIlroy chasing
When he finished off on 18, Rai had shot an eight-under 64 in Round 2, which left him tied for the lead with World No. 5 Tommy Fleetwood.
But Rai didn’t let up in Saturday’s third round.
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He could only manage at birdie at the 2nd hole in Round 3, but that was one of five birdies Rai drained on the front nine. He added two more birdies on the back nine against one bogey to finish with another six-under 66.
His third-straight stellar round put Rai in the solo lead heading into Sunday’s final round. Even more incredible? This week’s event is Rai’s first competitive tournament since the BMW PGA Championship in September, nearly two months ago.
Fleetwood, who shot 67 on Saturday, will start Sunday one shot behind Rai. Fleetwood is hunting for his second-straight DP World Tour win after triumphing at the DP World India Championship in October.
World No. 2 Rory McIlroy also shot a 66 in the third round. That has him at 14 under, six shots behind Rai with 18 holes to play.
