January 24, 2016: Shiv Kapur made five birdies in the final round to end his week in Abu Dhabi just outside the top 10 in the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship. Kapur has been a revelation this week, posting scores of 74-69-65 before ending his week with a 70 on Sunday. Rickie Fowler (69) saw off a stiff challenge from Thomas Pieters (67) to claim the title. Fowler finished at 16-under 272, one better than Pieters and two strokes ahead of Henrik Stenson (67) and Rory McIlroy (68).
Kapur made double bogey at the par-5 second hole and suffered another bogey at the 14th to give away three shots. But he punctuated his effort with birdies at the 4th, 7th and 8th holes before the turn. He also made two other birdies at the 11th and 18th holes to finish T11 at 10-under 278.
Rickie Fowler opened up a three-shot lead in dramatic fashion as the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship reached its closing stages on Sunday. The World Number Six held a two-shot lead after 54 holes and had extended that to four at one stage before a double bogey on the seventh all of a sudden saw him just one clear at Abu Dhabi Golf Club.
But the 27 year old responded brilliantly, holing from a bunker on the par five eighth for an eagle to give himself some breathing space at 15 under at the turn. He played a very steady hand from there, making nine pars and a birdie on the 17th to seal victory. (European Tour Report)
Pieters was bogey free through the final round, pushing Fowler to the very end. The Belgian was lying two back with five to play, but only managed to birdie the final hole and finished one behind the winner.
Stenson birdied three of his last four holes to jump up to third in the final standings. McIlroy has been determined to make a good impression in his first outing this year and a birdie on the 16th and an eagle on the 18th helped the Northern Irishman finish in a tie for third with Stenson.
World No.1 Jordan Spieth finished three behind McIlroy in a tie for fifth with Marcel Siem and four others. Spieth shot 68 on Sunday with a hat-trick of birdies from the 12th and one more to sign off in style on the final hole for an overall score of 11-under 277.
