Shane Lowry won the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship after a dramatic final-round tussle with South African Richard Sterne.
Here, we look at the winners and losers from Abu Dhabi Golf Club.
WINNERS
SHANE LOWRY
The new champion – apart from a brief scare in the final round – looks to have taken his game to a new level in 2019 with his crisp iron play and solid putting at the heart of an exciting skillset.
Although the 31-year-old will be disappointed with his driving and approach play on the first 11 holes of the final round, he still posted 26 birdies across the weekend to finish on an 18-under par score of 270 and cap off the best start to his 11-year professional career.
It was his first win in over three years, and judging by his array of shot selection this weekend, more should follow if he can stay confident and continue to work hard on and off the course.
RICHARD STERNE
The South African deserves serious credit for his final round display, posting six birdies on the front nine, but it’s just unfortunate he could not keep up the momentum heading into the back end of the course.
Sterne carded a stunning final round of 69 to finish one shot behind Lowry. At 37 and winless in over five years, the Pretoria native should be proud of his performance against a star-studded field, especially with his eye-catching rounds of 65-68-69-69.
JOOST LUITEN
The Dutchman continued his strong form in recent months with a stunning third place finish at Abu Dhabi Golf Club.
His final round was the best among the field, posting four birdies, two eagles and one bogey en route to a stunning 7-under par 65.
At 33, the six-time European Tour winner showed he still has plenty of magic in his armoury and should be aiming for another consistent display at next week’s Dubai Desert Classic.
LOSERS
TOMMY FLEETWOOD
The Englishman arrived in Abu Dhabi full of promise and optimism as he bid for a third successive title in the capital.
But the 27-year-old struggled with his new TaylorMade irons and could only manage a five under par score of 283 to finish in a tie for 42nd.
The Southport native was not expecting miracles coming into his first event of the year, but ten bogeys across the four rounds will disappoint him as he goes in search of a first major this season.
However, Fleetwood has the chance to make amends when he continues his 2019 campaign in Dubai later this week.
HENRIK STENSON
The Swede was another player who was starting to find his form at the season’s end, but struggled at Abu Dhabi Golf Club.
Coming into this week’s tournament, he was backed by two fourth place finishes and a T20 in the DP World Tour Championship at the season’s end. However, he failed to replicate those formidable displays and showed rustiness in posting a miserable seven bogeys and two double bogeys to miss the cut.
