Introduction

Last week, the world's attention was focused on the Yas Links in Abu Dhabi, UAE, as the first stop of the 2024 DP World Tour Playoffs, the Abu Dhabi Championship, kicked off. The top 70 players on this season's DP World Tour competed for four days here. Four days, four rounds, no cuts! Rory McIlroy arrived in the Middle East with only two matches left to tie the late great Seve Ballesteros' record of six Harry Vardon Trophy titles. The defending Race to Dubai champion finished runner-up in the first tournament of the season and then successfully defended his title at the Dubai Desert Classic. He then performed well in this year's Grand Slam, narrowly missing out on the US Open. His closest challenger is South African Thriston Lawrence, who is more than 1,500 points behind Rory McIlroy. Thriston Lawrence is also looking to challenge for the top spot in the standings as he races to gain dual membership on the PGA Tour. Rasmus Højgaard is right behind him, less than 2,000 points behind Rory McIlroy, who is in third place. As things stand, Rory McIlroy is likely to secure the Harry Vardon Trophy, which represents the season's Race to Dubai standings, before the last race of the season begins. Victor Perez won the last Abu Dhabi Championship and, after the season ended, earned his PGA Tour status as a top-10 player in the Race to Dubai standings, becoming a dual member of the DP World Tour and the PGA Tour. He has since performed well to keep his PGA Tour status, but unfortunately he failed to make the top 70 in the Race to Dubai standings this year, so he cannot participate in the Abu Dhabi Championship. Nicolai Højgaard is the champion of the DP World Tour Championship last season. In addition, he performed well in the last game of the regular season this season, the Genesis Championship, and raised his ranking in the Dubai Race to 67th, which enabled him to qualify for the Abu Dhabi Championship. Now, the Danish player needs to try his best to continue to improve his ranking to the top 50 through this week's competition, so as to get a ticket to the season finale and have a chance to defend his title. Many talented players gathered in Abu Dhabi, including nine of the top ten and eighteen of the top twenty in the Dubai Race. In addition to Rory McIlroy leading the competition, Grand Slam champions Adam Scott, Shane Lowry, Justin Rose and Olympic silver medalist Tommy Fleetwood will also add more star charm to the competition. 

Round 1

In the first round of the Abu Dhabi Championship, the first stop of the playoffs, Tommy Fleetwood topped the leaderboard with a score of -10, one stroke ahead of Thorbjørn Olesen and Johannes Veerman, who were tied for second place. Paul Waring, Tyrrell Hatton, Francesco Laporta, and Laurie Canter were all in T4 with a score of -8. At the beginning of the season, Tommy Fleetwood defeated Rory McIlroy to win the Dubai Invitational in January this year. Ten months later, Tommy Fleetwood once again stood on the land of the UAE, and stood at the top of the leaderboard after the first round with a terrifying fighting power of 1 eagle, 8 birdies, and 0 bogeys. In the first round, Tommy Fleetwood had a hot hand on the first hole and scored a birdie. On the 529-yard par-5 No. 2 hole, Tommy Fleetwood hit the green with two shots, leaving less than three yards for an eagle putt, and seized the opportunity to successfully get an eagle. In the next 7 holes, Tommy Fleetwood caught two birdies and no bogeys, but his performance seemed to be gradually stabilizing from the initial burst. However, this seemingly "smooth" was just an illusion. After the transition, he made two birdies on the 10th and 11th holes. A long putt on the 12th hole made him miss a birdie, but it didn't matter. He continued to get two birdies on the 13th and 14th holes, and finally ended the first round perfectly with a birdie on the 18th hole. Tommy Fleetwood is currently ranked fifth in the Dubai Race Points. If he can maintain his hot hand until the end of the game, he will enter the final battle of the season, the DP World Tour Championship, with a position close to Rory McIlroy's second place in the Dubai Race Points, and even threaten Rory McIlroy's position as the champion of the annual Dubai Race Points. Will the championship battle between the two at the beginning of the season continue on the land of the UAE ten months later? We will wait and see. Rory McIlroy, who is currently the absolute leader in the Dubai Race Points, scored 6 birdies and 1 bogey in the first round, and finished T18. For Rory McIlroy, one of his most important tasks in these two rounds is to stay at the top of the Dubai Race Points until the end of the season in two weeks, so as to win his sixth annual Dubai Race Points Championship title. Looking at Thorbjørn Olesen's first round scorecard, I believe it is hard not to be amazed at how strong this player is: 2 eagles and 5 birdies. The 34-year-old Danish player who has won 8 DP World Tour titles tied with Tommy Fleetwood with Johannes Veerman at 9 strokes. It can only be said that Tommy Fleetwood is in a very hot state this time, otherwise it would be difficult for any player not to succumb to the majesty of these two eagles. Former world No. 1 British Rose Justin Rose scored 5 birdies and 2 bogeys in the first round, and tied for 35th place. He previously finished second in this season's British Open and is currently ranked 27th in the Dubai Race Points List. 

Round 2

In the second round of the first stop of the playoffs, Abu Dhabi Championship, English player Paul Waring led the way with a score of -19, followed by American player Johannes Veerman, Danish player Nicklas Nørgaard Møller, English player Tommy Fleetwood, and Danish player Thorbjørn Olesen with a total score of -14. English player Laurie Canter, with a total score of 12 under par, ranked T6 with English players Tyrrell Hatton and English players Matt Wallace. Paul Waring started from the 1st hole, caught 3 birdies in a row from the 3rd hole, and successfully captured an eagle with a chip shot on the 6th hole. After the transition, Paul Waring continued to play at a high level and caught five birdies in succession. On the last hole, Paul Waring's first tee shot deviated and got a free drop opportunity, and then Paul Waring chipped the ball back to the fairway. Then he hit the ball 250 yards with driver, and after the ball rolled to 1 yard from the hole, Paul Waring successfully made the birdie putt. In the end, he got a flawless score of 1 eagle and 9 birdies, leading by a large margin with a score of 11 strokes under par. Not only did he get the lowest score of 61 in his career, but also set the lowest score during the DP World Tour. After the game, Paul Waring said: "Because my shot was always on point today, I felt that my tee shot on the 18th hole was a little uncomfortable. Even if I used a 3-wood, I felt that I could hit the ball with a slight arc and make the ball land steadily on the green. To be honest, I just wanted to catch as many birdies as possible today. And I felt pretty good in the game. I felt that my swing was good. The putting was relatively weak, but I have been working hard to improve recently, especially after moving here. I am now very used to this style of greens." In this competition, Tommy Fleetwood changed his putter and strived to win his third DP World Tour championship in Abu Dhabi. This change helped him to take the lead in yesterday's game, especially in the last hole. Today, he started from the 1st hole. Although he unfortunately swallowed a bogey on the 4th hole, he caught 4 birdies before the turn. After the turn, Tommy Fleetwood's performance was slightly up and down. He successfully caught birdies on the 13th and 15th holes, but unfortunately swallowed a bogey on the 16th hole. In the end, he finished the game with a score of -4 with 6 birdies and 2 bogeys, ranking T2 on the leaderboard. Rory McIlroy started from the 1st hole and caught four birdies before the turn. After the turn, Rory McIlroy continued his good form and successfully made a birdie putt 7 yards from the hole on the 11th hole. However, he unfortunately swallowed a triple bogey on the 3-par 17th hole, which brought his score to -5, and finally ranked T14 with a total score of -10. After the game, Rory McIlroy said: "I played well before the 17th hole. I think I played well on the 17th hole, but unfortunately the ball rolled into the bunker. There was not much sand at the landing point, and I had a little problem there, but I adjusted quickly and successfully caught a birdie on the last hole." 

Round 3

In the third round of the Abu Dhabi Championship, the first stop of the playoffs, English player Paul Waring continued to top the list with a score of -18; Danish player Niklas Nørgaard Møller followed closely with a score of -17, one stroke behind, and ranked second; another Danish player Thorbjørn Olesen, English player Tommy Fleetwood, Irish player Shane Lowry, and Swedish player Sebastian Soderberg tied for third with a total score of -15. Paul Waring was in hot form in the first two rounds, and even set the lowest score of 61 during the DP World Tour in the last round, but this state did not continue in this round. At the beginning, he first putted in a 1-yard birdie putt on the 2nd hole, then missed the par putt on the 4th hole, and then tried to save par for a long time, but unfortunately he took a bogey on the 14th hole and finally got a score of +1. The pursuers were eyeing him, and Paul Waring's 5-stroke lead was reduced to 1 stroke. After the game, the 39-year-old veteran joked, "You have to live a normal day, don't you?" and said, "I'm a little disappointed. I feel like I could have put myself out of sight, but in four rounds of golf, you always encounter some holes that don't go well. I try to stay positive because I'm still in the lead and look forward to tomorrow's game." Niklas Nørgaard Møller continued to play steadily in this round. He grabbed a birdie on the 1st hole at the beginning, but unfortunately missed the par putt on the 9th hole and took bogey. Entering the back 9 holes, he quickly adjusted his state and immediately put in a 7-yard birdie putt on the 10th hole, and grabbed 2 birdies in a row on the 14th and 15th holes. In the end, he handed in a score of -3, with a total score of -17, only 1 stroke behind the leader. After the game, he said: "It's an interesting feeling this gives you, because a year ago, I really felt like a guest in these tournaments, but now I feel more like at home." Tommy Fleetwood was in good shape in the first 9 holes, starting with birdies on holes 1 and 3, and then birdie on hole 7, but missed the par putt on the very next hole 8; after the transition, he made a close birdie putt on hole 11, but subsequently made mistakes on holes 13 and 14, taking 2 bogeys in a row and finally getting -1 stroke. His total score of -15 strokes ranked T3 with the other three players. Rory McIlroy had a bad start and end of this round. He had a bad start and bogeyed the 1st hole. Fortunately, he caught a birdie on the next hole, the 2nd hole, and then started a "birdie journey". He successfully caught birdies on the 7th, 9th, 11th, 14th and 15th holes. However, Rory McIlroy still did not seize the opportunity to play. On the last hole 18, he first hit the tee into the water, and then hit the ball into the bunker by mistake. In the end, he had a double bogey and handed in a scorecard of -3, ranking T13 with a total score of -13. After the game, he said: "It is not ideal to score above par in the last two holes for two consecutive days." But for the final round, he added: "It depends on the performance of the leaders. I still think there is a 50% chance tomorrow." 

Final

In the final of the Abu Dhabi Championship, Paul Waring won the championship with a total score of -24 and a two-stroke advantage, followed by Tyrrell Hatton. Rory McIlroy, Thorbjørn Olesen and Matt Wallace ranked T3 with a score of -21. The 39-year-old English veteran Paul Waring defeated a group of players who were at their peak in this game and won the championship. In contrast to his professional age, this is Paul Waring's second DP World Tour championship in his 17-year career. He won his first championship in the Nordic Masters in 2018. Paul Waring has played some very good results this year. He tied for third place in this year's Volvo China Open. After the abnormal state and loss of advantage in the third round, Paul Waring tried his best to adjust his state to the best in the final round. With a score of 6 birdies and 0 bogeys, he expanded his advantage to two strokes, leaving no possibility for other players to overtake and winning the championship steadily. With this victory, his ranking in the Dubai Race Points has risen by 43 places to fifth place, which means he will have the hope of obtaining a PGA Tour card next season and competing in his 18th year of professional career as a dual member. After the game, he said: "This victory means a lot. I don't want to be too exaggerated, but I feel that my skills have been good in the past year, but I haven't fully played them. Then this week came, you know, this week made everything come together, the putting was good, the backswing was good, and the tee was good. I'm happy to put it all together and win such a game." Rory McIlroy, as the absolute focus of the last two weeks before the end of the season, finally broke through the "bogey" and "double bogey" dilemma encountered in the first three rounds in the final round, and ranked tied for third with a score of -8 with 9 birdies and 1 bogey. In the last round, Rory McIlroy also played at a very high level in the face of his slightly weaker putter. On the par-4 14th hole, he hit the tee shot to the bunker outside the fairway, and the second shot chipped to the green, leaving a distance of nearly 18 yards from the hole. Rory McIlroy pushed forward and got a birdie. After this game, Rory McIlroy still ranked first in the Dubai Competition Points, and the annual Dubai Competition Points Championship was within reach. As the player closest to the Dubai Competition Points Championship except Rory McIlroy, Thriston Lawrence also started the sprint catch-up mode in the last round. He scored 2 eagles, 4 birdies and 0 bogeys in the last round, and improved the ranking of the competition by 12 places in the last round, and tied for sixth place with a score of -20. After the game, he still ranked second in the Dubai Competition Points. After leading alone in the first round, Tommy Fleetwood scored 6 birdies and 1 bogey in the last round, and ranked T6 with a score of -5, and his Dubai Competition Points Ranking dropped to 7th. The season finale of the DP World Tour Championship will start next week, but last season's champion Nicolai Højgaard only qualified for the Abu Dhabi Championship after the last game of the regular season. Although Højgaard has been in excellent form in this week's competition, he caught 2 eagles and 24 birdies in the four-day competition, and got 6 birdies and 2 bogeys in the last round, finishing the game with a total score of -18 and ranked T13. He raised the Dubai competition standings by 8 places to 59th, but he was still a long way from the top 50 requirement of the last game, so he had to regretfully miss the opportunity to defend his title. 

Summary

As one of the important events of the European Tour, the Abu Dhabi Championship once again brought a wonderful sports feast to golf enthusiasts around the world. In the charming land of Abu Dhabi, top golfers gathered together to show their superb skills and tenacious competitive spirit. On the court, the players showed the perfect combination of elegance and strength in their swings. They competed hard on the well-designed fairways, and every shot was full of desire for victory. Whether it was accurate long-distance shots or delicate short-shot skills, the audience was feasted for the eyes. The Abu Dhabi Championship is not only a grand event of sports competition, but also a vivid display of golf culture. Now, in order to give back to the long-term support of old customers and warmly welcome new customers to join, Galileo Sports has specially launched a surprising promotion. All series of golf nets are on sale, and the discount of up to 18% allows you to own high-quality golf equipment at a more affordable price. Whether you are a novice who has just started or an experienced master, you can find a golf net suitable for you at Galileo Sports. Imagine having a high-quality golf net that you can practice anytime, anywhere in your backyard, park, or driving range to continuously improve your golf skills. This is not only a love for golf, but also a pursuit of quality of life. Don't miss this rare opportunity, log on to the official website of Galileo Sports and buy your favorite golf net! Let's actively participate in this fascinating sport of golf. Under the blue sky and white clouds, breathe the fresh air, swing the club, and feel the joy and challenge of golf. Whether it is to compete with friends or enjoy the quiet time of hitting the ball alone, golf can bring you a unique experience. And now, the discount activities of Galileo Sports have added a motivation to your golf journey. Come to the official website to buy it, let us gallop in the world of golf together!