Rory McIlroy Can Finally Add The Missing Piece To His Extraordinary Abu Dhabi Record This Week

Rory McIlroy’s Abu Dhabi Challenge

Rory McIlroy has achieved remarkable consistency in Abu Dhabi, yet one notable achievement still eludes him: winning the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.

Impressive but Incomplete Record

The Northern Irish golfer, a five-time Major winner, has competed at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship 11 times but has never secured a victory. Despite this, he finished runner-up four times and placed third on five occasions, either alone or shared.

Narrow Defeats

McIlroy narrowly missed out in 2012, 2014, and 2015, losing by a single stroke to Robert Rock, Pablo Larrazabal, and Gary Stal, respectively. Stal's 2015 win was a major upset, overcoming an eight-stroke deficit behind 54-hole leader Martin Kaymer to beat several Ryder Cup stars at Abu Dhabi Golf Club.

Future Ambitions

At 36, McIlroy aims to win a seventh Race to Dubai title, moving closer to Colin Montgomerie’s record for most titles. Yet, the priority remains claiming the Abu Dhabi victory that has so far escaped him.

"The five-time Major winner has a couple more tasks to tick off on his to-do list. Perhaps the most important would be to win a seventh Race To Dubai crown and pull within one of Colin Montgomerie in terms of the most all-time titles."
"Stal's victory in 2015 was arguably the biggest shock for McIlroy and co as the Frenchman roared from eight strokes behind 54-hole leader Martin Kaymer to stun a cluster of current or future Ryder Cup stars at Abu Dhabi Golf Club."

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Summary: Despite consistent high finishes, Rory McIlroy has yet to win the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship but remains determined to add this missing title to his outstanding career achievements.

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Golf Monthly Golf Monthly — 2025-11-03

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