| -7 M Fitzpatrick (Eng), T Hatton (Eng); -6 A Noren (Swe); -5 A Arnaus (Spa) |
| Selected others: -4 T Fleetwood (Eng), C Shinkwin (Eng); -3 R Ramsay (Sco); -2 R MacIntyre (Sco), J Rahm (Spa); -1 R McIlroy (NI) |
| Full leaderboard |
English pair Matthew Fitzpatrick and Tyrrell Hatton share the lead on seven under par after the opening day of the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.
Hatton held the lead before making a bogey on the final hole to card a 65 at Jumeriah Golf Estates.
US Open champion Fitzpatrick, who won the season-ending event in 2016 and 2020, could still end the season as European number one.
Sweden’s Alexander Noren is one shot behind the leaders after a 66.
World number one Rory McIlroy, who currently tops the Europe-based DP World Tour’s rankings, opened his challenge with a one-under-par 71.
Last week’s winner Tommy Fleetwood of England is four under alongside compatriot Callum Shinkwin, with Richie Ramsay a stroke further back and his fellow Scot Robert MacIntyre on two under with Jon Rahm of Spain.
Fitzpatrick came into the event third in those European rankings, and made an impressive start with five birdies in the opening five holes.
He made seven in total in the opening round while Hatton carded eight.
“I think the biggest thing I’m pleased about today is just hitting 17 greens, and the one I missed, I was a complete idiot,” said Fitzpatrick.
“That was the big thing that I was happy about today – that I kept giving myself chances and putted well as well.”
On his opening birdie burst, he added: “I was laughing, to be honest. I literally said to [caddie] Billy [Foster] yesterday, ‘when we won in 2020, didn’t we have four in a row?’.
“And then we did four in a row, and then we laughed about that and I made a fifth. It was a nice start to the day.”
