Successful start for Girrbach and Von Dellingshausen on the DP World Tour. Other German players also feature prominently after round one in Dubai.
Girrbach and Von Dellingshausen impress at the start in Dubai
The DP World Tour Hero Dubai Desert Classic 2026 at the Emirates Golf Club has officially begun. Although the round was interrupted shortly before the end, the DACH players can already be pleased with a mostly successful start.
Leading the way was Joel Girrbach from Switzerland, who showed strong early form. Being the first on the course, he was not shaken by an early bogey and then played flawlessly. Birdies on holes 3 and 6 brought him back to even par by the turn. On the back nine, Girrbach made an impressive charge: A perfect second shot on the par-5 gave him an eagle chance which he confidently converted. Without any further mistakes, he posted a 68 (-4) to sit in an excellent fourth place after round one.
Right behind him, German Nicolai von Dellingshausen also impressed. After a slow start and +1 after nine holes, the German picked up momentum on the back nine with birdies on holes 10, 12, 13, and 16, reflecting strong approach shots and solid putting. He finished with a total of five birdies and a 69 (-3), placing him within striking distance of the leaders and currently inside the top 10.
At the top of the leaderboard is Italian Francesco Molinari. The veteran played an almost flawless opening round, leading with -7. He carded four birdies on both the front and back nine and had only one bogey on hole 12. Ahead of Girrbach and Von Dellingshausen are also Mikael Lindberg (-5) and JC Ritchie (-4).
Other German players in strong positions at the DP World Tour
Marcel Schneider experienced a mixed day. Four birdies gave him momentum at times, but three bogeys prevented a better finish. He remains well positioned at -1 after round one for the upcoming days.
Freddy Schott also finished at -1. Despite six birdies, five bogeys, including two after bunker shots and penalty strokes on holes 12 and 18, prevented a lower score.
Marcel Siem started on the back nine and displayed his skills in between. A chip-in birdie on 16 and a strongly played birdie from the trees on 5 were highlights. Despite several bogeys, he fought back and finished the round at even par thanks to a birdie on the final hole.
Perfection from Marcel Siem 💯#HeroDubaiDesertClassic | #RolexSeries <