DP World Tour Championship: Luiten Takes Lead After Round One
Joost Luiten, the last player to qualify for the 50-man field, opened with a 5-under 67, leaving Rory McIlroy two strokes back in Dubai.
By Oliver Bennett ·
Golfers at the season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai faced a different competitive dynamic on Thursday. Joost Luiten, who entered the tournament as the final qualifier, held a one-shot lead after the first round. The Dutchman shot 5-under 67 at the Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates.
Luiten described his strategy as an attempt to gain ground with no pressure to defend a position. He recorded seven birdies and two bogeys to post his lowest score at this venue since 2016. He credited his caddie for the mindset shift, stating, “Bro, we can only go up this week, you know? We’re last man in, we’ve got nothing to lose, so let’s go for it.”
Rory McIlroy sits in a group of five players at 3-under 69. The World No. 2 is chasing a record-tying eighth Race to Dubai title. He finished his round with five birdies and two bogeys, closing with a birdie on the 18th hole. McIlroy noted that the wind and thick rough made the course setup more demanding than usual. He said, “anything in the 60s today I felt was a good score. And sort of held it together nicely when I needed to.”
Jacob Skov Olesen of Denmark occupies solo second place at 4-under 68. He saved a birdie on his final hole to finish the round. McIlroy is tied for third with Victor Perez of France, Freddy Schott of Germany, and Gregorio De Leo and Francesco Laporta of Italy.
The tournament serves as the second event in the DP World Tour’s two-week playoffs. McIlroy finished third in the previous week’s Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship, four shots behind winner Jon Rahm. To match Colin Montgomerie’s record of eight Order of Merit titles, McIlroy must overtake the current leader, Eugenio Chacarra of Spain. Chacarra is currently tied for 23rd at even par.
Luiten navigated challenging conditions on the back nine. He faced crosswinds on holes 12 through 18, which he described as tricky. He conceded that two mistakes on holes 11 and 12 resulted in consecutive bogeys, but he recovered with birdies on the 13th and 18th holes to secure the lead.
