Four leads in Dubai with 67 and McIlroy and Harman, four shots back

The Dane Rasmus Hojgaard, the Chinese Haotong Li, the English Andy Sullivan and the American Cameron Young, each carding 67 strokes (five under par), lead at the end of the first day at the Hero Dubai Dessert Classic, a DP World Tour tournament, played at the Emirates Golf Club.

Seven players were one stroke away, including Spaniard Sebastián García Grout, who completed a round with five birdies and one bogey. Among other Spaniards, the best was Rafa Cabrera, who scored 70; and Santi Tarrio, Manuel Elvira and Ángel Hidalgo, 71.

Rory McIlroy and Brian Harman did not have comfortable starts, especially on the last few holes. McIlroy, ranked number 2, bogeyed three of his last four holes to finish with a 71, and Harman, the 2023 British Open champion, who also started on the 10th hole, finished bogey-par -double bogey to close on the same score as Roty.

Haotong Li, Andy Sullivan, Rasmus Hojgaard and Cameron Young were co-leaders when play was suspended due to darkness on the first day of one of the biggest events of the season on the European circuit. Young, the 25th-ranked American playing in Dubai for the first time, birdied the 16th and 17th holes before holing a 50-foot eagle putt from just off the green at the par-5 18th hole to lead. with 67 hits.

Nine players out of 126 participants did not complete their first round, including Adri Arnaus.

Adrian Meronk – newly crowned 2023 European Tour Player of the Year – Nicolai Hojgaard, Richard Mansell, Soren Kjeldsen, Sebastián García, Thorbjorn Olesen and Louis De Jager are within one stroke of the lead after rounds of 68. Tommy Fleetwood, winner Last week, he shot 69.