The reigning KLM Open champion looked like he could be flying home after a horror opening two hole start to the final round of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.
Syme was three-over after two holes and managed to regroup thanks to four birdies over his next 10 holes. There was more anxiety for the Fifer when he dropped a shot at 15 however his round of 72 and a 14-under tally for an eventual share of 32nd place, saw him slip one place on the Race to Dubai to 49th and secure the penultimate tee-time in this week’s $US 9m season final in Dubai.
Top-ranked Scot Bob MacIntyre leads the way into this coming week’s $US 9m event having posted a rousing Abu Dhabi Championship final round that included an eagle and five birdies in a ‘best of the week’ seven-under 67 for a share of ninth place at 20-under.
MacIntyre’s effort has seen him move up one place to 5th on the R2D money list standings.
Joburg Open champ Calum Hill signed for a 67 to end the event T17th and retain 37th position on the R2D.
Grant Forrest struggled early in Abu Dhabi but thanks to four birdies in succession from the 10th hole this year’s inaugural Nexo winner in August at Trump International in Aberdeenshire closed with a 67 to end T38th and also jump two places to 43rd on the R2D.
And Dubai resident Ewen Ferguson not only gets to sleep in his own bed this week but will be out to make his presence felt on the golf coure after a poor Abu Dhabi week, ending with a promising 66 but was at the tail of the field with a T49th effort for the three-time Tour winner to now head up the road to Dubai dropping two places to 45th on the R2D.
New Abu Dhabi HSBC winner Aaron Rai has seen his R2D standing jump from 55th at the start of last week, up 46 places to the new No.9.
And his play-off win over Tommy Fleetwood is a second occasion Rai has denied Fleetwood a DP World Tour win having beaten Fleetwood to capture the 2020 Scottish Open title.
NOTE …
Looking at the current 2025 Race to Dubai standings you will note No. 30 is Viktor Hovland however in clicking on the DP World Tour Championship Hovland’s name is missing from the entry list.
As such, there no current No. 30 ranked played and England’s Brandon Robinson Thompson, currently ranked No. 151st has now found his way into the final DPWT event of the year.
See: https://www.europeantour.com/dpworld-tour/dp-world-tour-championship-2025/entry-list
