GOLF – Francesco Molinari rolled back the years with a stunning 65 to lead by two shots after a windy first round yesterday in the 2026 Hero Dubai Desert Classic in the UAE.
The Italian, who has not been in the winner’s circle since lifting the 147th Open Championship at Carnoustie in 2018, made light work of the breezy conditions at Emirates Golf Club thanks to eight birdies and one dropped shot.
Molinari returned to form after an indifferent 2025 DP World Tour campaign with a top 10 finish at the Nedbank Golf Challenge in honour of Gary Player in December, before starting the calendar year with back-to-back events in Dubai.
The 43-year-old briefly joined Mikael Lindberg at the summit before the Swede closed with a birdie to set the clubhouse target at five under.
However, Molinari finished his round with three consecutive birdies to carve open a two-shot advantage and take the overnight lead in the opening Rolex Series event of the 2026 Race to Dubai.
JC Ritchie started with an eagle at the 10th before birdies at the 13th and 18th offset a bogey at the 15th.
The South African moved to within one of Molinari with a hat-trick of birdies from the second, but he double bogeyed the sixth and finished at four-under alongside Swiss Joel Girrbach.
Japan’s Yuto Katsuragawa, China’s Wenyi Ding, Spaniard Manuel Elvira, Italy’s Andrea Pavan, Germany’s Nicolai Von Dellingshausen, and the American pair of Patrick Reed and Johannes Veerman were in a share of fifth at three-under.
Tyrrell Hatton opened his title defence with a two-under-par 70 to sit alongside Ryder Cup teammate Shane Lowry among the group of 12 players one shot further back.
Three groups will return to finish their first round today morning after play was suspended due to darkness yesterday evening.
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