Jon Rahm wins Abu Dhabi Championship ahead of Hatton and McIlroy

Jon Rahm posted a final‑round 67 to secure a two‑shot win over England's Tyrrell Hatton at the Abu Dhabi Championship on Sunday, with Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy finishing two strokes further back.

The victory marked Rahm's first DP World Tour triumph in four years and his first win since leaving LIV Golf, as well as his debut tournament since the birth of his fourth child last month. He recorded six birdies and only one dropped shot, the leaderboard showed.

Rahm told Sky Sports: "It means a lot. It's been quite a while to play well in the DP World Tour. Except a shot on 17, as far as I'm concerned, I played a pretty flawless back nine. It was really solid, never in danger of making a bogey except that one hole. After everything that has gone on, some poor play and some battles mentally with a lot of noise, to come back out after a bit of a break and a new addition to the family, it's pretty special."

McIlroy's third‑place finish ensured he enters next week's DP World Tour Championship second in the Race to Dubai standings, keeping his bid for a record‑equalling eighth title alive, the tournament data indicated. He received a two‑shot penalty in the opening round, leap‑frogged American Patrick Reed and now trails only Spain's Eugenio Chacarra.

Despite having been outside the top 50 at the start of the week, Rahm's win also kept him in contention for a possible back‑to‑back victory in Dubai, officials said.