If you were looking for a calm, predictable year of golf, 2025 probably wasn't it. The HSBC Championships 2025 scores across both the women’s event in Singapore and the men’s showdown in Abu Dhabi tell a story of sheer grit, some heartbreak, and a couple of world-class redemption arcs. Honestly, if you just glanced at a final leaderboard, you’d miss the fact that Lydia Ko was basically fighting a ghost from ten years ago, or that Aaron Rai had to survive a playoff against one of his best friends.
Golf is weird like that. You can play 71 holes of near-perfection and have it all come down to an eight-foot putt on a Sunday afternoon.
Lydia Ko and the Singapore Breakthrough
Let’s talk about the LPGA first. The HSBC Women’s World Championship at Sentosa Golf Club is often called "Asia’s Major." It’s a big deal. For Lydia Ko, it was the one that kept getting away. She’d been trying to win this thing for 11 years. Eleven.
By the time Sunday rolled around, Ko was sitting on a one-shot lead over Charley Hull. But golf in Singapore is never just about the person in second place; it’s about the heat, the grain of the greens, and the mental tax of knowing everyone expects you to win because you’re, well, Lydia Ko.
How the Leaderboard Shook Out
Ko didn't just win; she kind of slammed the door. She finished at 13-under-par (275 total), which sounds comfortable on paper—a four-shot victory—but it didn't feel that way when Jeeno Thitikul was charging early on.
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- Lydia Ko (Winner): -13 (Final round 69)
- Ayaka Furue (T2): -9 (Final round 68)
- Jeeno Thitikul (T2): -9 (Final round 70)
- Jin Hee Im (T4): -7
- Charley Hull (T4): -7
- Gaby Lopez (T4): -7
Jeeno Thitikul made a massive push early with two birdies in her first four holes. At one point, she was only one stroke back. But then Ko found her rhythm on the par-5 sixth, followed it up with back-to-back birdies on seven and eight, and basically went into cruise control. Charley Hull, who everyone thought might make it a duel, struggled with a 74. It was a tough watch if you're a Hull fan, but Ko’s 23rd career title felt earned in a way few others do.
The Drama at Yas Links: Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship
Switching gears to the men’s side in November, the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship was a completely different beast. This was a Rolex Series event, which basically means the field was stacked and the pressure was dialed up to eleven.
Aaron Rai and Tommy Fleetwood. Two Englishmen who are actually quite close. They ended up in a "see-saw" battle (as the pundits love to say) that didn't resolve itself until a playoff on the 18th hole at Yas Links.
The Numbers That Mattered
The HSBC Championships 2025 scores in Abu Dhabi were absurdly low. We’re talking -26 to win.
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- Aaron Rai: -26 (Won in playoff)
- Tommy Fleetwood: -26
- Rory McIlroy: -24
- Nicolai Højgaard: -21
- Richard Mansell: -20
Rory McIlroy actually shot a record-tying 62 on Sunday. He started birdie-eagle and just didn't stop. He was 24-under before the leaders even reached the back nine. But it wasn't enough. Rai, who had a three-foot par putt disaster on the 14th hole, managed to keep his head. He birdied 16 and 17 to force the playoff with Fleetwood.
When they went back to the 18th for the sudden death, Rai stuck his approach shot to eight feet. Fleetwood’s response slid just past the cup. Rai didn't miss. It was his second Rolex Series title, and it moved him into the top ten of the Race to Dubai.
Why These Scores Matter for the Rest of the Season
It’s easy to treat these as isolated weekends, but the 2025 HSBC results changed the trajectory for several players. For Lydia Ko, this win solidified her Hall of Fame status even further and gave her 500 points in the Race to the CME Globe. It showed she could still dominate the Asian swing.
In Abu Dhabi, the stakes were different. This was about the DP World Tour playoffs. Because Rai won, he jumped from 46th to 9th in the standings. Meanwhile, Rory McIlroy’s third-place finish essentially clinched his seventh Race to Dubai title, putting him just one shy of Colin Montgomerie’s all-time record.
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Actionable Takeaways for Following Leaderboards
If you’re trying to keep up with golf scores in real-time, especially for high-stakes events like these, stop just looking at the "To Par" number. Look at the "Strokes Gained" stats if they're available.
In Singapore, Ko’s win was built on her putting—she barely missed anything inside ten feet all week. In Abu Dhabi, Rai won because of his iron play under pressure.
Next Steps for Fans:
- Track the Rolex Series: These events (like Abu Dhabi) offer 9,000 Race to Dubai points, which is why the scores are always so aggressive.
- Watch the "Asian Swing": The LPGA event in Singapore is part of a larger stretch. Players who do well at Sentosa usually carry that momentum into the next three tournaments.
- Check the Tee Times: Especially for events in Singapore and the UAE, the weather (and wind) changes drastically between the morning and afternoon waves. A -4 in the morning is often better than a -6 in the calm of the afternoon.
The 2025 HSBC season proved that experience usually wins out, but you have to be willing to go low—really low—to stay on top of the leaderboard.