Hansen goes low in Dubai

Flawless round from the Dane sees him lead by two

Photography: Getty Images

Denmark’s Joachim B. Hansen fired a nine-under-par 63 to lead by two shots after the opening round of the AVIV Dubai Championship.

Hansen took full advantage of the favourable scoring conditions on the Fire Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates, posting five birdies in six holes before the turn before adding four more on the way in.
The 31-year-old, whose sole European Tour win came at the 2020 Joburg Open, has been in a solid run of form with four consecutive top 25 finishes, but at 85th on the Race to Dubai he needs either a victory or second place if he is to force his way into next week’s season-ending Rolex Series event, the DP World Tour Championship.
“I had some good practice days with my coach here the last few days, my game yesterday looked solid, good warm-up on the range today and had confidence going out there and it showed itself out there," said Hansen.
“I loved it, no wind, perfect conditions and lovely to play in. I kept the ball in play, hit a lot of fairways in the first 14 holes but I holed the putts I needed, missed a few ones but you can’t hole them all."
Hansen finished with back-to-back birdies to move two clear of four players tied on seven under par: English pair Andy Sullivan and Paul Waring, South African Dean Burmester and defending champion Antoine Rozner of France.
Ryder Cup player Tommy Fleetwood is a further shot back on six under par after a round of 66 that included eight birdies and two bogeys.
Meanwhile, United Arab Emirates amateur Ahmad Skaik, who hit the opening tee shot, posted the lowest round on the European Tour by an Emirati golfer, signing for a four-under-par 68.