DUBAI: Jordan Smith and Adrian Otaegui shared the lead after day one of the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai as Francesco Molinari tightened his grip on the European Tour’s season-long crown.
England’s Jordan Smith and Spain’s Adrian Otaegui have a share of the lead going into Friday’s second round of the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai, as Francesco Molinari moved closer to sealing the Race to Dubai crown.
Smith and Otaegui both shot rounds of 66 at Jumeirah Golf Estates to sit six-under par, one shot clear of the defending champion Jon Rahm and former Masters champion Danny Willett.
Italian Molinari knows a tie for fifth place with one other will secure him the European Tour’s season-ending title, but he looks set to go one better as he was just a shot further back after a 68 on the Earth Course.
Defending champion Tommy Fleetwood needs to win the tournament to have any chance of denying Molinari, and the Englishman was three shots off the lead after a 69.
“I hit a lot of good shots on that front nine,” early leader Smith said. “I just couldn’t quite find the hole. I hit a lot of good putts, all burning the edge and then something clicked on that back nine and they started going in. I think you can just take a lot of confidence into the next few days.”
Otaegui, who remained bogey-free in his first round, has two wins on the European Tour but neither of them have come in 72-hole stroke play.
“I played really well,” he said. “I was solid from tee-to-green. I left myself lots of birdie chances. I thought I putted well. Six birdies, no bogeys, it’s always a very good start. It’s more important to have a good finish, as well.”
Otaegui made a birdie-birdie start and then added another on the par-five seventh to turn in 33. Gains on the tenth and 14th had him within one and a stunning third into the last set up a closing birdie.
Elsewhere, Rory McIlroy’s announcement that he would play only two European Tour events in 2019 was the main talking point on Thursday.
Former European Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley has criticizedthe Northern Irishman for what he calls a “baffling” decision.
“It’s very disappointing,” McGinley said. “I’ve been racking my brains wondering how that can be.
“Obviously Rory sees it in other ways and has got his own rationale for that, although I’m finding it hard to understand,” added McGinley.
World No. 7 McIlroy has to play four European Tour tournaments, apart from the majors and World Golf Championship events, in order to retain Tour membership.
So far, McIlroy has only two tournaments on his schedule and he may miss the Irish Open, which he has hosted for the last four years.
England’s Jordan Smith and Spain’s Adrian Otaegui have a share of the lead going into Friday’s second round of the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai, as Francesco Molinari moved closer to sealing the Race to Dubai crown.
Smith and Otaegui both shot rounds of 66 at Jumeirah Golf Estates to sit six-under par, one shot clear of the defending champion Jon Rahm and former Masters champion Danny Willett.
Italian Molinari knows a tie for fifth place with one other will secure him the European Tour’s season-ending title, but he looks set to go one better as he was just a shot further back after a 68 on the Earth Course.
Defending champion Tommy Fleetwood needs to win the tournament to have any chance of denying Molinari, and the Englishman was three shots off the lead after a 69.
“I hit a lot of good shots on that front nine,” early leader Smith said. “I just couldn’t quite find the hole. I hit a lot of good putts, all burning the edge and then something clicked on that back nine and they started going in. I think you can just take a lot of confidence into the next few days.”
Otaegui, who remained bogey-free in his first round, has two wins on the European Tour but neither of them have come in 72-hole stroke play.
“I played really well,” he said. “I was solid from tee-to-green. I left myself lots of birdie chances. I thought I putted well. Six birdies, no bogeys, it’s always a very good start. It’s more important to have a good finish, as well.”
Otaegui made a birdie-birdie start and then added another on the par-five seventh to turn in 33. Gains on the tenth and 14th had him within one and a stunning third into the last set up a closing birdie.
Elsewhere, Rory McIlroy’s announcement that he would play only two European Tour events in 2019 was the main talking point on Thursday.
Former European Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley has criticizedthe Northern Irishman for what he calls a “baffling” decision.
“It’s very disappointing,” McGinley said. “I’ve been racking my brains wondering how that can be.
“Obviously Rory sees it in other ways and has got his own rationale for that, although I’m finding it hard to understand,” added McGinley.
World No. 7 McIlroy has to play four European Tour tournaments, apart from the majors and World Golf Championship events, in order to retain Tour membership.
So far, McIlroy has only two tournaments on his schedule and he may miss the Irish Open, which he has hosted for the last four years.
