Matt Fitzpatrick‘s quick begin helped him transfer out in entrance within the Race to Dubai as Rory McIlroy struggled within the first spherical of the season-ending DP World Tour Championship.
Fitzpatrick birdied his first 5 holes and completed with a bogey-free 7-under 65 on Thursday for his lowest spherical on the Earth Course, the place he’s a two-time winner.
The U.S. Open champion was tied for the lead with Tyrrell Hatton, who went on a run of 4 straight birdies from the thirteenth gap however completed along with his lone bogey on the par-5 18th.
McIlroy leads the Race to Dubai standings as he bids to be the European tour’s main participant for the fourth time in his profession, however wanted a birdie on the 18th simply to get below par with a 71 that tied him for twenty second. Ryan Fox, who’s second within the factors desk to McIlroy, managed solely a 73 to take a seat tied for thirty third.
Fitzpatrick would clinch a primary Race to Dubai title with a 3rd win on the World Tour Championship, supplied McIlroy or Fox do not end the occasion in second. Even a second-place end could be ok for Fitzpatrick so long as McIlroy would not end decrease than seventh.
Fitzpatrick mentioned he was taking part in with “an actual sore throat” however was laughing along with his caddie after his early run of birdies.
“It was a pleasant begin to the day,” the Englishman mentioned. “The most important factor I am so happy about is simply hitting 17 greens. And the one I missed I used to be an entire fool.”
McIlroy birdied 4 of his first eight holes however could not get something happening the again 9 and gave away an inexpensive shot when he three-putted for his fourth bogey on the sixteenth.
“Definitely not what I had hoped for,” McIlroy mentioned. “Simply began to drive the ball a bit crooked on the again 9 … It was good to birdie the final simply to shoot below par. However clearly I’ve had three weeks off for the reason that CJ Cup, so simply form of attempting to knock the rust off slightly bit.”
The highest-ranked McIlroy is attempting to win the FedExCup and Race to Dubai in the identical 12 months for the primary time, having received every occasion on three events. His final Race to Dubai title got here in 2015, having additionally received it in 2012 and 2014.
4 different gamers — Tommy Fleetwood, Viktor Hovland, Shane Lowry and Adrian Meronk — even have an out of doors probability of overhauling McIlroy within the standings. Of these, Fleetwood had one of the best opening spherical with a 68.
Hatton regarded set to take the only real lead after capping his late run of birdies with a 64-foot downhill putt on the sixteenth.
“It was hit and hope,” Hatton mentioned of that shot. “Clearly holing a putt from that distance down a tier like that, you want a number of luck. There was just a few instances right now the place I did get fortunate, and that was clearly a pleasant break.”
