Three main winners emerged because the favorites to win the DP World Tour Championship earlier this week, and one in all them co-leads in Dubai after Round 1 because the DP World Tour season involves an in depth. Matt Fitzpatrick, who has received two of the final six season-ending tournaments on this golf course, shot a 7-under 65 and is tied with Tyrrell Hatton after 18 holes of play.
For some time, it seemed as if it could be even higher than that. Fitzpatrick birdied his first 5 holes earlier than cooling off and enjoying the following 13 in simply 2 below. Still, it is a super begin for the reigning U.S. Open champion as he appears to cap what has been a spectacular 12 months with a second win and, doubtlessly, his first Harry Vardon trophy, given to the participant who tops the DP World Tour’s season-long factors race.
“I was laughing to be honest [about the hot start],” Fiztpatrick mentioned. “I said to [caddie] Billy [Foster] yesterday, ‘When we won in 2020, didn’t we have four in a row?’ Then we did four in a row and we laughed about that, then I made a fifth. It was a nice start to the day.”
Hatton, too, had a pleasant begin to his day. He birdied 4 of the primary seven, after which 4 extra after that earlier than making his solely bogey of the day (a six on the 18th gap). He fell right into a tie with Fitzpatrick due to a mistake on the final however remains to be in a great place to get what can be his first win since Abu Dhabi initially of 2021.
“I’m surprised to hear it’s my lowest round to start with [at this event],” mentioned Hatton. “Obviously it was a good day. Hit a lot of good shots. Putter was great. Kind of happy with that start. Although my head’s a bit fried at the moment. My mind is just raging at the last there. But it is what it is.”
Those two lead a resurgent Alex Noren by one and Adri Arnaus by two, however the larger names and extra feared gamers are additional again. Tommy Fleetwood is 4 below; Jon Rahm is 2 below; pre-tournament favourite Rory McIlroy is 1 below; Shane Lowry is 1 over; and Viktor Hovland is 2 over. That’s a whole lot of floor for almost everybody in this group to make up on two Ryder Cup-level gamers like Fitzpatrick and Hatton.
“I play well here,” mentioned McIlroy. “[I was] 3 under through eight holes. I’m not — it’s not far away. It’s not as if there’s anything that I need to drastically work on. And yeah, thankfully there’s three rounds left, go out and shoot a good one tomorrow and be ready for the weekend.”
The silver lining for McIlroy is 2 fold. One, there’s loads of time left to make up a whole lot of floor, and he is maybe the very best ever on this golf course (though Fitzpatrick is terrific as properly). Two, McIlroy solely narrowly trails Fitzpatrick for the season-long factors race. Even if Fitzpatrick wins, McIlroy can nonetheless win the race by ending second in this subject.
Regardless, the tone has been set by two Englishmen for this week’s match. Several different superstars are chasing, however working down one in all Hatton and Fitzpatrick might be tough sufficient. To get by two of them might be, if it occurs, a rare feat.
DP World Tour Championship Odds
- Matt Fitzpatrick: +230
- Tyrrell Hatton: +450
- Rory McIlroy: +750
- Alex Noren: 9-1
- Jon Rahm: 9-1
- Tommy Fleetwood: 11-1
Fitzpatrick and McIlroy have modified positions right here. McIlroy was shorter than 3-1 to win coming into this week, and Fitzpatrick was 9-1 earlier than his 65 in the primary spherical. I’m hesitant concerning the gamers past Hatton due to how high quality the highest two are, and I’m glad to have picked Fitzpatrick at 9-1. However, if I’ve to take any individual outdoors of the highest two, I’m going with Fleetwood, who’s coming off a win final week in South Africa and simply three again.
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