Michael Kim shines with a bogey-free 64 to take the lead in Dubai, while Rory McIlroy stays in Race to Dubai contention.
The opening round of the DP World Tour Championship, the final playoff event of the DP World Tour season, teed off Thursday in Dubai. Nicolai von Dellingshausen, the only German-speaking player in the field, delivered a solid performance with a 2-under-par 70. Starting with a birdie on the 3rd, he gave back strokes with bogeys on 4 and 5, but recovered with two more birdies to close the front nine. He remained steady on the back nine, adding one more birdie on the 18th. Von Dellingshausen sits T22 on the leaderboard and holds his position at 40th in the Race to Dubai standings.
Michael Kim leads after bogey-free 64
American Michael Kim delivered the round of the day with a flawless 64. The 32-year-old, born in Seoul and raised in Texas, carded three birdies on the front nine and added five more on the back to surge 34 spots in the projected Race to Dubai rankings, now sitting 4th. England’s Tommy Fleetwood follows closely with a bogey-free 65, posting seven birdies but falling one shot short of Kim’s lead.
McIlroy, Sullivan and Lawrence in the hunt
Three players share third place at 66: Rory McIlroy, Andy Sullivan, and Thriston Lawrence. Sullivan’s round was error-free with six birdies, while Lawrence notched seven birdies but was slowed by a bogey on 17. McIlroy also had seven birdies but dropped a shot on the 4th. Despite that, McIlroy remains atop the projected Race to Dubai standings after day one.
Penge struggles in opening round
Marco Penge, who entered the event second in the Race to Dubai rankings, struggled with a 2-over-par 74. The Englishman, who had limited preparation due to illness, recorded five bogeys and three birdies, placing him T46. He’ll need a strong comeback in the following rounds to stay in contention for the season title.