Successful start for Girrbach and Von Dellingshausen at the DP World Tour. Several German players are among the leaders after round one in Dubai.
Girrbach and von Dellingshausen impress in Dubai opener
The DP World Tour Hero Dubai Desert Classic 2026 at the Emirates Golf Club has kicked off. Although the round was interrupted shortly before the end, the DACH players can already count it as a largely successful start.
Foremost, Joel Girrbach showed strong early form. As the first player on the course, the Swiss remained composed after a bogey at the start and played flawlessly afterwards. Birdies on holes 3 and 6 brought him back to even par before the turn. On the back nine, Girrbach impressed further: a perfect second shot on the par-5 gave him an eagle opportunity which he coolly converted. Without further errors, he posted a 68 (-4) and currently holds a commendable fourth place after round one.
Close behind, Nicolai von Dellingshausen also delivered a convincing performance. After a cautious start and +1 after nine holes, the German picked up momentum on the back nine with birdies on holes 10, 12, 13, and 16, showcasing impressive approach shots and solid putting. He finished with five birdies total and a 69 (-3), keeping him within striking distance of the leaders and inside the top 10.
At the top of the leaderboard stands Italian Francesco Molinari, who played an almost flawless opening round, taking the lead at -7. He recorded four birdies on both the front and back nine with just one bogey on hole 12. Ahead of Girrbach and Von Dellingshausen are also Mikael Lindberg (-5) and JC Ritchie (-4).
Other German players well placed at DP World Tour
Marcel Schneider experienced an up-and-down day with four birdies generating momentum but three bogeys preventing a higher finish. He remains well poised at -1 after round one.
Freddy Schott also finished at -1 despite six birdies being offset by five bogeys, including two after bunker shots and penalties on holes 12 and 18.
Marcel Siem started on the back nine and displayed glimpses of his class, with a chip-in birdie on 16 and a well-played birdie on 5 from the trees as highlights. Despite a few bogeys, he battled back to close even par with a birdie on the final hole.
Perfection from Marcel Siem 💯#HeroDubaiDesertClassic | #RolexSeries pic.twitter