Rahm edges Hatton and McIlroy to Abu Dhabi Championship victory

Jon Rahm fired a final-round 67 on Sunday to win the Abu Dhabi Championship, finishing two shots clear of England's Tyrrell Hatton. Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy was a further two strokes back in third.

Rahm's victory was his sixth Rolex Series win and his first DP World Tour triumph in four years. It was also his first win since he announced his departure from LIV Golf and came in his first tournament since the birth of his fourth child last month; Rahm is a two-time major winner.

Abu Dhabi Championship final-round leaderboard -23 J Rahm (Spa); -21 T Hatton (Eng); -19 R McIlroy (NI); -17 F Laporta (Ita); -16 B Wiesberger (Aut), A Ayora (Spa), D Puig (Spa); -15 J Schaper (SA) Selected others: -14 N Kimsey (Eng), M Jordan (Eng); -13 S Bairstow (Eng), T Fleetwood (Eng), A Sullivan (Eng); -12 E Ferguson (Sco); -11 E Chacarra (Spa); -10 A Rai (Eng); -9 M Wallace (Eng); -4 P Reed (US)

Rahm produced six birdies and just one dropped shot in his final round to finish clear of Hatton. "It means a lot. It's been quite a while to play well in the DP World Tour," Rahm told Sky Sports. "Except a shot on 17, as far as I'm concerned, I played a pretty flawless back nine. It was really solid, never in danger of making a bogey except that one hole. After everything that has gone on, some poor play and some battles mentally with a lot of noise, to come back out after a bit of a break and a new addition to the family, it's pretty special."

Having finished at the very bottom of the leaderboard at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth in his last appearance, Rahm joked that going "last to first" was especially pleasing. Despite starting the week outside the top 50, Rahm's victory ensured he remained in the hunt too should he be able to go back-to-back in Dubai.

For McIlroy, his third-placed finish was enough to ensure he goes into next week's season-finale at the DP World Tour Championship sitting second in the Race To Dubai standings as he seeks a record-equalling eighth win. The 37-year-old, who was given a two-shot penalty in his first round, leapfrogged American Patrick Reed and now trails only Spain's Eugenio Chacarra in his bid to match Colin Montgomerie's eight season-long titles.

Rahm had taken an overnight lead of a single stroke into Sunday after a third-round 66. His Ryder Cup team-mates Hatton and McIlroy, as well as Italian Francesco Laporta, managed to carry the chase into the back nine on Sunday, while Laporta produced three birdies on the front nine to make the turn in a tie with his playing partner Rahm. McIlroy, in the group further ahead, picked up a pair of shots on the 11th and 12th to join them on 20 under.

Across the closing stretch, Rahm's challengers fell away. After McIlroy missed a birdie putt on the 13th and then dropped a shot on the 15th following a wayward approach, he finished with a three-under 69 to record his 11th top-three finish at a tournament he still has yet to win. Laporta, who led after the second round, left the 11th green four under for his day but dropped four shots in two holes to slip out of contention and finished fourth, six shots behind Rahm. Hatton's final-round 68 included four birdies and 14 pars; he briefly closed to within one on the 15th but Rahm matched that birdie with a three-foot putt after a six iron to the green, and Hatton's 24-foot birdie attempt on 17 came up inches short while Rahm's par putt fell from under five feet.

Race To Dubai leader Chacarra finished on 11 under in a three-way tie for 22nd and Patrick Reed ended on four under. McIlroy will head to next week's DP World Tour Championship sitting second in the Race To Dubai standings, and Rahm's win keeps him in contention for the season finale should he be able to secure a second successive victory in Dubai.