The Armada’s haul in Abu Dhabi could have been much better, but it’s not to be dismissed. Nacho Elvira was fighting for victory against some of the world’s best until the 15th hole, and Ángel Ayora unveiled his talents this Sunday, making a significant impact in the battle for the PGA Tour card. The most negative aspect of this fourth day at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship is that Alex del Rey just missed out on playing in the big Dubai Final.
There’s not much to criticise about Nacho Elvira’s performance (-21). The Cantabrian once again accepted the challenge of fighting for victory on Sunday and held his ground until the final holes. His chances remained intact until the 15th. The putter was his great ally throughout the day, although he ultimately missed par precisely on that 15th hole and finished with a painful bogey on the 17th due to a three-putt. Really, there’s little to complain about regarding the shortest club in the bag. He behaved like a warrior on a very difficult Sunday, with many nerves, birdies falling everywhere like cluster bombs, changing leaders constantly, going up and down… It was necessary to stay firm, and Nacho did. He saved some key pars in the first two-thirds of his round and also made some good birdies.
The final day was so close that there really isn’t much to blame Elvira for. The tournament was decided by details, and the Spaniard lacked two moments of inspiration. Perhaps he didn’t hit as good irons as in previous days, but he managed to stay standing with a lot of grit. Finally, he delivered a card of 69 strokes and finished seventh.
He jumps again in the Race to Dubai. He will arrive in Jumeirah in 36th place, with possibilities for the British Open (top 25) and a PGA Tour card (the top ten who don’t already have American rights). It’s his second consecutive top 10 after the second place in Korea. He hadn’t strung together a sequence like this since 2019. On that occasion, there were three in a row. It wouldn’t be bad to match it in Dubai…
Ángel Ayora (-20) signed a fantastic round of 63 strokes, nine under par. His weekend was excellent. A partial of 15 under, only surpassed by Rory McIlroy with -16. Precisely, the Northern Irishman delivered the best round of the day today with 62 strokes. This sovereign effort by Ayora on Saturday and Sunday has allowed him to make a significant impact in his fight for the PGA Tour card.
The Englishman Jordan Smith continues to mark the boundary of the tenth card, but now he’s a bit closer. The man from Malaga has taken about 50 points off him and is 474.04 away. He will need a solo fourth place in the Dubai Final next week to have any chance of taking one of the ten cards. He still has it within reach. He finished in ninth position in Abu Dhabi, his fourth top 10 in the last five tournaments. Regarding the fight for the PGA Tour card, the victory of Aaron Rai and the second place of Tommy Fleetwood have been very beneficial for all those involved in it. Both already have the PGA Tour card and don’t take up a spot.
As for the other four Spaniards present in this DP World Tour playoff, the worst news was for Alex del Rey (-17). He finished with a card of 70 strokes, in 17th place. Insufficient to at least reach 51st place and secure a spot in the Dubai Final. The top 50 in the Race qualify, but it seems that Viktor Hovland won’t play, so it will extend to 51st. In that position is the Englishman Brandon Robinson Thompson. Del Rey is in 53rd, just over 30 points away.
Who has made it to the big Final is Jorge Campillo (-9). It wasn’t his best week, but he had done his homework earlier. He will arrive in Dubai in 47th place in the Race. The big loser of the week in this regard is the German Marcel Schneider. He arrived in Abu Dhabi in 48th place and leaves in 52nd, just outside Jumeirah.
On the other hand, Eugenio Chacarra (-12), with a final round of 68 strokes, finished in 39th place and lost three positions in the Race to Dubai. The PGA Tour card, his main goal, is now a bit further away. He is almost 800 points behind Jordan Smith. Only a solo second or a victory in the Final will suffice.
Finally, the season is over for Rafa Cabrera Bello (-5) and Manu Elvira (-10). The younger Elvira, at least, bid farewell with a great round of golf of 65 strokes. Neither will be in the Dubai Final.
