ABU DHABI: Lee Westwood secured his 25th European Tour win with victory at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship on Sunday.
Westwood, who had a one-shot overnight lead, has now won in four different decades starting in the 1990s. The Englishman’s 5-under par final-round 67 gave him a two-shot margin over a chasing pack of France’s Victor Perez (63) and England’s Tommy Fleetwood (63) and Matthew Fitzpatrick (67) who all finished on 271.
Bernd Wiesberger and second-round leader Francesco Laporta, who both started the final round one back of Westwood, had their challenge fall away after rounds of 72 and 74.
Top-ranked Brooks Koepka finished joint 34th with an 8-under 280 after a 69 in the final round, 11 back of Westwood.
It was Koepka’s first tournament since returning from a knee injury he aggravated in October when he slipped while walking off the tee at the CJ Cup in South Korea. He previously had stem cell treatment for a partially torn tendon in his patella.
Westwood, a former world No. 1-ranked player, was challenged throughout the final round.
Fitzpatrick, who was two shots off Westwood before the start of the day, got off to a strong start and an impressive front nine saw him pile on the pressure but the 46-year-old former world No. 1 kept his cool and continued to putt well to secure his victory.
“It’s been a good week,” Westwood told europeantour.com. “I wasn’t really paying any attention to what other people were doing.
“I was trying to control me, control my emotions and control what I’m working on in the golf swing. Just managed to do that.
“A little slip-up at 16. Like I said yesterday, with what I’m working on, if I don’t quite do it, I hit a pull, and I hit a pull second shot and pulled the putt actually, as well, but I hit some good shots coming in, and really just pleased with the way I controlled myself.”
Westwood was ranked No. 63 in the world going into the event, but the first victory by an English player on the 2020 Race to Dubai should move him into the top 30.
Fitzpatrick is already in there and was pleased to start the year with a strong performance, he added: “Front nine I felt like could I hole everything and managed to hole one putt for par, which was nice to keep a bit of momentum going.
“Just on back nine, just couldn’t make a thing. It was just one of those days, but hey, that’s golf. I’m delighted. It’s a great start to the year.”
Fleetwood, on his 29th birthday, carded a final round of nine under to finish on 17 under, but fell just short of winning the event for a third time.
“You just concentrate on what you’re doing and every time, every week we play, somebody is going to play great golf and at the moment that’s Lee,” said Fleetwood.
“I’m very, very happy with my weekend, I felt like I played some really good golf.”
Perez joined Fleetwood with a final round of 63 to come joint-second while Louis Oosthuizen finished fifth on 15 under.
Sergio Garcia finished six off Westwood to come tied for eighth alongside Austria’s Wiesberger.
Westwood wins in Abu Dhabi for his 25th Euro tour victory
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Westwood wins in Abu Dhabi for his 25th Euro tour victory
- Westwood, who had a one-shot overnight lead, has now won in four different decades starting in the 1990s
Saudi rally driver sets her sights on the fast lane
- With podium finishes at home and ambitions abroad, Mashael Al-Saad is ready for the next race
- Rally Jameel remained a defining chapter in Al-Saad’s journey, exposing her to the demands of desert racing and pushing her beyond familiar limits
MAKKAH: What began as a chance encounter with motorsport has evolved into a growing rallying career for Saudi driver Mashael Al-Saad.
With a growing list of domestic achievements and ambitions that extend beyond the Kingdom’s borders, Al-Saad is carving out her place in a discipline defined by endurance, precision and mental resilience.
Her first exposure to rally driving came as she emceed the second Rally Jameel in 2023, the region’s first women-only navigational rally.
Witnessing the participants’ determination and competitiveness sparked Al-Saad’s curiosity about motorsport and encouraged her to explore the possibility of competing herself.
A recommendation from Saudi rally driver Abdullah Bakhashab opened the door to her first professional opportunity with Lexus, marking the start of her rally career during the fourth Rally Jameel in 2024.
That quickly translated into results. As a Lexus team driver, Al-Saad secured first place in her category and sixth overall among more than 40 participants.
Rally Jameel remained a defining chapter in her journey, exposing her to the demands of desert racing and pushing her beyond familiar limits. She continued to compete in subsequent editions, later earning second place overall and first in her category, before taking part in events at other race circuits across Saudi Arabia and the wider Middle East and North Africa region.
Despite entering a traditionally male-dominated sport, Al-Saad says she did not perceive her path as a challenging one.
Instead, she highlights the extensive support she received on multiple fronts, from Saudi Arabia’s leadership and the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation to corporate backing from Lexus.
She also credits her family, particularly her mother, for playing a vital role in shaping her confidence and determination long before she entered competitive racing.
Among her domestic successes, Al-Saad considers her Time Attack victory in Jeddah last year as one of the most significant milestones of her career. One of her earliest races, it saw her progress steadily to first place in the Women’s Cup, reinforcing her belief in her own capabilities.
Another pivotal moment came in 2024, during the Racing Hill Climb, where she raced on mountainous terrain for the first time in Taif. The unfamiliar conditions tested her technical skills and adaptability, ultimately accelerating her development as a driver.
Competing at a high level has reshaped Al-Saad both on and off the track. Racing alongside experienced champions has, she says, been both humbling and motivating.
Over time, she has developed a deeper understanding of the technical side of motorsport, spending increasing amounts of time studying vehicle dynamics and kinematics to better synchronize her driving style with the car. Personally, the sport has made her more confident in facing uncertainty, strengthening her ability to approach new challenges with focus rather than fear.
Al-Saad is often viewed as a role model for Saudi women entering motorsport, something which makes her feel humble. She says she would be honored to inspire just one woman but believes role models exist across all levels of the industry. For her, progress comes from observing the strengths of others and applying those lessons to one’s own journey — a philosophy she sees as relevant far beyond motorsports.
Managing pressure and risk is an integral part of rallying, and Al-Saad relies on preparation and composure to navigate intense stages. Planning ahead helps her mitigate challenges, while calm decision-making becomes crucial when conditions change unexpectedly.
In a sport where every second counts, she emphasizes that clarity and decisiveness often make the difference between success and setback.
Looking ahead, Al-Saad has set her sights firmly on international competition. She aims to compete in the Middle East Rally Championship and hopes one day to line up at the start of the Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia.
She is also eager to explore other racing formats, viewing the learning process itself as one of the most rewarding aspects of her career.
To young Saudi women who aspire to follow a similar path but hesitate because they fear failing, Al-Saad offers a simple word of advice — start.
She believes progress begins with the first step, learning through experience and allowing confidence to grow over time.
In a rapidly evolving motorsports scene, her journey stands as a reflection of what is increasingly possible in Saudi Arabia — both on the road and beyond it.
