Rafa Cabrera-Bello announces good things for 2022. He was second in Abu Dhabi, a Rolex Series tournament attended by world number 2 Collin Morikawa, one stroke behind the winner, Belgian striker Thomas Pieters. The canary co-led the tournament by minutes during the last few holes, but two consecutive bogeys on holes 15 and 16 took him out of victory.
It was a day that demanded a lot of head, with the wind blowing in Yas Links, the new stage of the tournament that put everyone to the test. Cabrera came out three strokes behind and understood that it was only worth attacking. Based on good irons, which made birdie opportunities, some given as in hole 9 that left it one meter away, the canary was disturbing Pieters who was cautious in almost all his game. He made a bogey -and a par 5- and a birdie. The last 10 holes were played at +1. “In the 18th I wanted to get to the green in two, but I preferred not to risk it,” he later said.
Courage made him hunt the Belgian after his mistake on the 12th hole at 10 under par. With the solvency that he was playing, he could think that the second victory in this category of tournaments – he already did it in the 2017 Scottish Open – could come. But two consecutive bogeys, on the 15th and 16th holes, this one the product of a second bad shot on a par 4, took the goal out of his head. He still played a superb approach shot on the par 5 18th hole to finish second. His best result outside the Spanish Open in the last five seasons.
The result allows him to be placed in the vicinity of the world top 100, after a busy season and a half since the return after confinement. Adri Arnaus, with the best lap of the day together with Stenson (65), was the next Spaniard in twentieth position. Collin Morikawa, just one lap under par, finished 62nd.
