It's a win for Rickie Fowler

Rickie Fowler has won the Abu Dhabi Championship, after shooting a three under 69 in the fourth round to beat his final round playing partner Thomas Pieters by a single stroke.

That makes it Rickie’s fourth global victory in just nine months, and confirms his new status in the game. It has also put him into fourth in the world rankings, so talk of a Big 4 can now be seen as a reality.

He didn’t make it easy for himself, despite having a four shot lead after six, at which point he looked like he was going to run away with it. He double bogeyed on the seventh, only then to bounce right back with holing for eagle from a greenside bunker on the eighth.

He holed again from just off the 17^th green for a birdie to restore his lead to two shots going down the last, but Thomas Pieters, the big hitting Belgian almost forced a play-off as he narrowly missed a putt for eagle on the 18^th.

Henrik Stenson and Rory McIlroy finished two shots back from the winner on 14 under par, whilst Jordan Spieth finished fifth tied with Marcel Siem on 11 under.

The big guns all came out to play, but it was Rickie who stuck it to them. What a great way to get the Middle East swing under way.

For more on Rickie and why he is a top GolfPunk click here.