Successful start for Girrbach and Von Dellingshausen at DP World Tour. Other German players also feature prominently after round one in Dubai.
Girrbach and Von Dellingshausen Impress at Start in Dubai
The DP World Tour Hero Dubai Desert Classic 2026 at the Emirates Golf Club has started. Although the round was interrupted shortly before the end, the DACH players can already be pleased with a mostly successful start.
Foremost, Joel Girrbach showed strong early form. As the first on the course, the Swiss player did not let a bogey at the beginning disrupt his focus 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 set up an eagle opportunity which he calmly converted. Without further errors, he carded a 68 (-4) to finish round one in an excellent fourth place.
Right behind him, Nicolai von Dellingshausen also stood out. After a cautious start with +1 through nine holes, the German picked up momentum on the back nine. Birdies on holes 10, 12, 13, and 16 reflected strong approach shots and confident putting. He recorded five birdies in total with a 69 (-3), placing him within striking distance of the leaders and currently in the top 10.
Leading the field is Italy’s Francesco Molinari. The veteran played an almost flawless opening round to take the early lead at -7, with four birdies on both the front and back nine and only one bogey on hole 12. Ahead of Girrbach and Von Dellingshausen are Mikael Lindberg (-5) and JC Ritchie (-4).
Other German Players Well Positioned at DP World Tour
Marcel Schneider had a mixed day. Four birdies brought momentum, but three bogeys prevented a higher position. With -1 after the first round, he remains in clear contention for the coming days.
Freddy Schott also finished with -1. Despite six birdies, five bogeys, including two from bunkers and two penalty strokes on holes 12 and 18, kept his score from being lower.
Marcel Siem started on the back nine and showcased his class with a chip-in birdie on 16 and a well-constructed birdie from the trees on 5. Despite several bogeys, he fought back and finished even par thanks to a birdie on the final hole.
Perfection from Marcel Siem 💯#HeroDubaiDesertClassic | #RolexSeries pic.twitter.com/6GXkEcdL