Tag: Joachim Hansen

Joachim Hansen leads Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic, but opening round suspended due to darkness

Sergio Garcia, Tommy Fleetwood, and Collin Morikawa sit within three strokes of leader Joachim Hansen.

The DP World Tour is in Dubai this week for the Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic at Emirates Golf Club. Several of the biggest names in golf are in the field including Rory McIlroy, Collin Morikawa, and Viktor Hovland.

They’re all chasing Joachim Hansen, who fired an opening-round, bogey-free 7-under 65, which included a stretch of four consecutive birdies beginning at the second hole. It was good enough to grab the clubhouse lead when play was suspended due to darkness. The Danish Olympian tied for 62nd last week in Abu Dhabi.

Sergio Garcia also got through Thursday’s round without making a bogey, signing for a 5-under 67. Joining Garcia at 5 under is Tommy Fleetwood, who’s coming off a mediocre performance at Yas Links where he tied for 48th.

Tommy Fleetwood of England looks on during day one of the Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic at Emirates Golf Club on January 27, 2022, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images)

Morikawa had it rolling during his opening nine, making six birdies to turn with a 31. He would add another birdie on the second (his 11th), before limping home with three bogeys on his last four holes for a 68. After a disappointing finish last week (T-62), Morikawa put in a lot of work before his Thursday effort.

“It was a disappointing finish but I’ve been working Monday through Wednesday, late into yesterday even after the pro-am just trying to figure things out,” he said. “When you’re thinking about so much you always have to remember to go and play golf so I’m happy with the four under, not thrilled, but to see some of the things that I’ve been working on show up on the course was really nice.”

The American will tee off Friday at least three back.

The opening round was suspended due to darkness with six golfers still on the course. That included Justin Harding, who currently sits at 6 under, and has the par 5 last to play and could take the outright lead with an eagle.  Play is expected to resume Friday morning.

Other notable names to complete their round and where they sit include:

Hovland (4 under)
Tyrrell Hatton (3 under)
Adam Scott (3 under)
Thomas Pieters (2 under)
Rory McIlroy (1 under)

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Rory McIlroy shines ‘considering the start,’ leads Sam Horsfield by one at the DP World Tour Championship

Rory McIlroy leads, while eight players sit within three shots.

Before this week in Dubai, the last time we saw Rory McIlroy tee it up was in Vegas for the CJ Cup. He won. This week, he’s just 18 holes away from winning in consecutive starts.

After making double on the par-5 last on Friday, McIlroy opened his Saturday stroll with a bogey. He would bounce back quickly, however, making three birdies before making the turn with a 3-under 33. The four-time major champion would add three more birdies and a bogey to his scorecard coming home for a third-round 5-under 67.

“Thought I did well considering the start. I hit a nice little snap-hook 3-wood off the first tee,” McIlroy said with a smile following a birdie on 18 Saturday. “After the bogey on one, responded well with birdies on two and three.”

The highlight of the Irishman’s round was what he called “a good bogey.”

“I just thought it was important to make birdie at the last, to get into the final group as well. I knew that putt was probably to get into the final group, and I wanted to do that.”

McIlroy has the chance to be the first player to ever win this championship for the third time.

“I’m looking forward to it. I’m right where I want to be, I want to be contending on Sundays in golf tournaments. I feel like I’m back to playing the way I should, and the way that will get me back contending. I’m excited.”

Rory McIlroy poses with the trophies for winning the Race To Dubai and DP World Tour Championship in 2015.

Just one shot back of McIlroy is Sam Horsfield, who admittedly didn’t quite have his A-game on Saturday.

“It was a little sloppy, it wasn’t my best stuff. It was nice to make that eagle on 14, made like a 60 footer across the green, so that was nice,” Horsfield said after his round. “I got a little aggressive on 18 trying to hit driver up there in the narrow part and it bit me in the butt.”

Horsfield will look to win for the third time on the European Tour, and first since August 2020.

Two back of McIlroy sits Alexander Bjork, and Robert MacIntyre. 36-hole leader Shane Lowry, Collin Morikawa, John Catlin, and Joachim Hansen sit three back at 11 under.

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Combat Rewind, April 2: Top highlights include a sickening Jens Pulver soccer kick

Check out the best highlights from this day in history with MMA Junkie’s “Combat Rewind.”

There’s “Flashback Friday” and “Throwback Thursday” (and Tuesday, too, if you want). But at MMA Junkie, we figured why not expand that to every day?

“Combat Rewind” brings you some of combat sports’ best highlights from every calendar day of the year. It’s a look back at history, courtesy of the UFC Fight Pass archives, featuring stellar finishes and classic moments in MMA and beyond on their anniversaries.

So kick back and relive the following bits of greatness in the video above:

  • PRIDE Bushido 10: [autotag]Jens Pulver[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Kenji Arai[/autotag] – April 2, 2006
  • TKO 20: [autotag]Mark Hominick[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Stephane Vigneault[/autotag] – April 2, 2005
  • PRIDE Bushido 10: [autotag]Joachim Hansen[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Luiz Azeredo[/autotag] – April 2, 2006
  • PRIDE Bushido 10: [autotag]Phil Baroni[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Yuki Kondo[/autotag] – April 2, 2006
  • PRIDE Bushido 10: [autotag]Marcus Aurelio[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Takanori Gomi[/autotag] – April 2, 2006

Fight footage courtesy of UFC Fight Pass, the UFC’s official digital subscription service, which is currently offering a seven-day free trial. UFC Fight Pass gives fans access to exclusive live UFC events and fights, exclusive live MMA and combat sports events from around the world, exclusive original and behind the scenes content and unprecedented 24-7 access to the world’s biggest fight library.

European Tour player gets ‘best result for the worst golf shot you’ve ever seen’

Joachim Hansen hit a horrendous shot from the bunker but got an incredible bounce you have to see to believe.

Hitting out of a sand trap is no day at the beach for the normal golfer, but week in and week out, the professionals on television make it look easy.

Every now and then, however, a pro will look like an average Joe, which was the case on Saturday for Denmark’s Joachim Hansen during the third round of the European Tour’s Nedbank Golf Challenge.

On the par-4 sixth hole at Gary Player Country Club in Sun City, South Africa, Hansen horribly mishit his ball out of the bunker, blasting it off the hosel and into the grassy bank. What happened from there was something you have to see to believe.

Leaderboard: Nedbank Golf Challenge

“The best result for the worst golf shot you’ve ever seen,” said the broadcast.

Hansen shot a 1-under 71 on Saturday and will enter the final round T-6 at 6 under, five shots off the lead.

How come that never happens to you or me, right?

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