Abu Dhabi Championship 2026: Who Has the Best Yas Links History
Andy Molitor
10 hours ago
Rory McIlroy owns the best Yas Links course history in the 2026 Abu Dhabi Championship field, and it is not especially close. Across 12 rounds at Yas Links from 2022 to 2025, McIlroy gained 2.24 strokes per round on the field, the top mark of any player in this week’s 70-man field with at least eight rounds there. The catch is that course history has given him two third-place ties at Yas Links, not a win. Tyrrell Hatton and Tommy Fleetwood are the names right behind him, and that is where the course-fit case gets interesting.
The Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship runs Thursday, November 5, through Sunday, November 8, at Yas Links, and it opens the two-event DP World Tour Play-Offs. Aaron Rai is the defending champion.
Best Yas Links course history in the 2026 Abu Dhabi field
Eight players in this week’s field have gained more than a stroke per round on the field at Yas Links over at least two starts. McIlroy leads, then Victor Perez, Hatton, and Fleetwood, all between +1.45 and +1.59. Those numbers come from our own DP World Tour database, every round played at Yas Links in the four editions held there from 2022 through 2025.
The table below shows players in the 2026 Abu Dhabi Championship field, per the DP World Tour entry list as of Monday morning, November 2, ranked by strokes gained total per round at Yas Links (minimum eight rounds).
| Player | Yas Links starts | Rounds | Strokes gained per round | Average score to par per round | Top-10 finishes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rory McIlroy | 3 | 12 | +2.24 | -4.17 | 2 |
| Victor Perez | 2 | 8 | +1.59 | -1.88 | 1 |
| Tyrrell Hatton | 4 | 16 | +1.57 | -3.31 | 3 |
| Tommy Fleetwood | 4 | 16 | +1.45 | -3.19 | 2 |
| Daniel Hillier | 2 | 8 | +1.33 | -3.50 | 1 |
| Jeff Winther | 3 | 12 | +1.24 | -2.50 | 1 |
One thing to know before reading the score column. The 2022 edition was played in rough, windy conditions and Thomas Pieters won it at only 10 under, so anyone who played that year carries a higher scoring average than the strokes-gained number suggests. Strokes gained adjusts for that because it measures each round against the field that day. That is why Perez looks ordinary on raw score and strong on strokes gained.
Is Rory McIlroy the play at Yas Links?
On course history alone, yes. McIlroy finished inside the top 15 in 2022 and tied for third in both 2024 and 2025, and his average of 4.17 under par per round is the best in the field over a real sample. In 2025 he ended one shot out of the playoff Rai won over Fleetwood at 25 under.
The problem is price, not fit. McIlroy will be the favorite or close to it, and a player who keeps finishing third at a venue is a better top-5 bet than an outright one at a short number. If you want him, the place markets match what the history actually says.
Hatton and Fleetwood are the value angle
Hatton is the most consistent Yas Links player in the field. He has three top-10 finishes in four starts there and has never missed the weekend, and his average of 3.31 under par per round is the best of anyone in the field who has played all four editions there. Steady is the word, and in a 70-man field steady keeps you in the place markets every week.
Fleetwood’s line is lumpier. He finished outside the top 35 in both 2022 and 2023, then inside the top 10 in 2024 and second in 2025, losing to Rai’s birdie on the first playoff hole. The trend is the thing. He has figured this place out, and he will rarely be priced like the course favorite McIlroy is.
Jon Rahm, Patrick Reed, and the no-history crowd
Jon Rahm is making his Yas Links debut this week, so there is nothing at this course to lean on, good or bad. Patrick Reed has played Yas Links twice and missed the cut in 2023 before finishing well outside the top 40 in 2025. Neither record is a reason to back him here.
Rai has played Yas Links once, and he won. One start is a tiny sample, but that win came at 25 under, so he has shown he can keep pace in a birdie-heavy week.
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FAQ
How many players are in the 2026 Abu Dhabi Championship field?
The field is 70 players. As the first event of the DP World Tour Play-Offs, it takes the leading available members of the 2026 Race to Dubai Rankings, and the tour went further down the list to fill the spots left by players who skipped it.
Which big names are missing from Abu Dhabi this year?
Robert MacIntyre and Justin Rose are not in the 2026 field. MacIntyre is listed as withdrawn on the DP World Tour entry list as of Monday.
How low does the winning score usually go at Yas Links?
It depends almost entirely on the wind. Pieters won at 10 under in a stormy 2022, while Rai and Fleetwood both reached 25 under in 2025. In 2024 and 2025 the field averaged a little over three under par per round at Yas Links.
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