Tag: Jumeirah Golf Estates

After back injury, top amateur Michael Thorbjornsen set to return at Hero Dubai Desert Classic

Thorbjornsen competed at the Dubai Desert Classic last year and finished T-20.

Michael Thorbjornsen, one of the best players in amateur golf, is set to make his return this week after an extended layoff because of a back injury.

The senior at Stanford will tee it up this week at the DP World Tour’s Hero Dubai Desert Classic, his first start since last summer at the Western Amateur, where he was one of 16 golfers to make match play. A week before the U.S. Amateur last August, Thorbjornsen announced he would miss the competition, as well as the Walker Cup, because of a stress fracture in his back.

Ranked fourth in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, Thorbjornsen received the exemption into the Dubai Desert Classic thanks to his ranking in the PGA Tour University standings. As the No. 1 player, he received an exemption into the field and will play alongside stars like Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood and others at Jumeirah Golf Estates.

Dubai Desert Classic: Photos

Last summer, he made four professional starts, including his third at the U.S. Open. He missed three cuts but finished T-17 at the John Deere Classic. Thorbjornsen also finished fourth at the 2022 Travelers Championship.

He competed at the Dubai Desert Classic last year and finished T-20, including a 64 in the third round. This is the third year the tournament has offered an exemption to the top player in the PGA Tour University rankings, with Sam Bennett (2022) and Ludvig Aberg (2023) earning the spots the previous two years.

As a junior, Thorbjornsen won the Fighting Illini Invitational and Pac-12 Championship. He was also tabbed 2023 Pac-12 Golfer of the Year and earned Golfweek First Team All-America honors.

Matt Wallace shoots 60 at DP World Tour Championship, birdies every hole on back nine

“I mean, 60 out here, that’s ridiculous.”

It was a special round for Matt Wallace on Saturday at the DP World Tour Championship.

The 32-year-old from England shot 12-under 60 in the third round at the DP World Tour Championship, moving into the lead by one shot with 18 holes to play at Jumeirah Golf Club in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Wallace, who has four DP World Tour wins in his career, leads Viktor Hovland, the 2023 FedEx Cup champion, and Tommy Fleetwood by one shot.

Wallace’s round was special, marked by nine straight birdies on the back nine to shoot 27 and card a 60, the lowest round on the DP World Tour this season.

2023 DP World Tour Championship
Matt Wallace of England walks to the 18th green during Day Three of the DP World Tour Championship on the Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates on November 18, 2023 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)

“What a day, an amazing day,” Wallace said. “Just tried my hardest to get myself back into the tournament. I’m really happy that I’ve been able to do that. Played great.

“Again at the end, I didn’t even think there was a 59. Honestly I think it helped me a little bit. I just played nicely coming down the stretch, just keep getting one more if I could and I managed to do that.”

Wallace’s eagle chip on the 18th hole came up just short of the hole, however, a closing birdie to cap the stellar back nine was a feather in the cap of the best round of Wallace’s life. With a win Sunday, he would win his first Rolex Series title, even though Rory McIlroy has captured the Race to Dubai, the DP World Tour’s season-long points race, for the fifth time.

Hovland and Fleetwood matched 66s on Saturday, continuing their trend from the first two days after matching 69s and 66s the first two days.

Even the FedEx Cup champion was impressed with Wallace’s day.

“That’s ridiculous,” Hovland said. “You know, it played easier today, not a lot of wind. Greens were soft. But the greens are very grainy. It’s hard to make putts. On some of the pin locations, like 17, for example, I don’t know, that’s a tough one to get close to. So there is a lot of good pins. And yeah, I mean, 60 out here, that’s ridiculous.”

Ryder Cupper Nicolai Hojgaard among leaders after first round of 2023 DP World Tour Championship

Catch up on the action here.

Rory McIlroy has already clinched the season-long Race to Dubai title, but there’s still hardware on the line this week at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.

European Ryder Cupper Nicolai Hojgaard is tied for the lead at 5 under alongside Julien Guerrier and Matthieu Pavon. Guerrier and Pavon were bogey free on Thursday, while Hojgaard was 1 over through six holes before closing his round with six birdies over the final 12 holes.

“I played really well today,” Hojgaard said. “Drove it well from hole No. 1 to 18, even though it was a little bit of a circus on 18, felt really solid. Got on a run. You know there’s a few chances out there, so it’s just about keep hitting good shots and stay present, and I feel I did a good job today.”

Jens Dantorp, Antoine Rozner and Adrian Meronk are tied for fourth at 4 under while a group including Tommy Fleetwood, Tom Kim, Viktor Hovland and Robert MacIntyre sit 3 under, T-7.

DP World Tour Championship: Leaderboard

McIlroy opened with a 1-under 71 that included an interesting fan interaction when his tee shot landed in a spectator’s lap.

World No. 3 Jon Rahm, who won this event last year, shot an even-par 72.

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Jon Rahm wins third DP World Tour Championship; Rory McIlroy claims fourth season title

It was the Rahm and Rory show at the 2022 DP World Tour Championship.

It was the Rahm and Rory show at the 2022 DP World Tour Championship.

Jon Rahm shot a 5-under 67 on Sunday to win the tour’s season finale in Dubai at 20 under, two shots ahead of Tyrrell Hatton and Alex Noren. With the win, he becomes the first player to win the tour championship for a third time.

Rory McIlroy’s lucky number this week at Jumeirah Golf Estates was four, as in, he’s now been crowned European Number One four times. McIlroy closed with a 68 for a solo fourth-place finish and clinched the points race when Matt Fitzpatrick tied for fifth. McIlroy earns the Harry Vardon trophy as a result, something he also took home in 2012, 2014 and 2015.

“It’s been seven years I last did it. This is my fourth one but it’s been a while, I’ve won three FedEx Cups since the last time I won this and it means a lot,” he said.

Only Colin Montgomerie (eight) and Seve Ballesteros (six) have more Vardon trophies.

For Rahm, this win marks his ninth DP World Tour victory and third worldwide title in 2022.

“Hopefully, people can stop telling it has been a bad year,” he said.

Rahm began the day with a one-shot lead and started his final 18 with three straight birdies. He bogeyed the fourth but added birdies on Nos. 7, 13 and 15. He now has three wins and four top-5s at Jumeirah Golf Estates’ Earth Course.

“I like this course and this course likes me. I hope this is the third of many more,” he said.

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Jon Rahm ‘maximized the round’ on moving day to take lead at 2022 DP World Tour Championship

The DP World Tour’s rankings prize is up for grabs.

Following Friday’s second round at the 2022 DP World Tour Championship, Jon Rahm felt as if he left a couple shots on the course during his 6-under performance.

On Saturday, his thoughts couldn’t have been more different.

“I don’t think I could have shot any lower today. Maximized the round,” Rahm said. “Wasn’t my best off the tee, but I was able to actually get some birdies out of some not so good situations. I didn’t hit any of the fairways on the par 5s and still played them 3-under par.”

Rahm fired a 7-under 65 on moving day to nab the lead at 15 under for the tournament heading into the final round. He trailed 36-hole leaders Matt Fitzpatrick and Tyrrell Hatton by four shots before the third round, but now those two are chasing the Spaniard.

Ranked fifth in the world, Rahm had seven birdies and no bogeys at Jumeirah Golf Estates on Saturday. He leads Fitzpatrick, who shot 2 under, by one and Alex Noren by two. Hatton and Rory McIlroy are T-4 at 12 under, three back. McIlroy matched Rahm with a 7-under performance.

As it stands, McIlroy is projected to win the DP World Tour points standings. There remains plenty of fluidity in the points race with 18 holes to go, but it’s clear what McIlroy’s goal is.

“It’s really cool, I’ve got to this stage in the game over 15 years as a pro, and I’m still trying to do things for the first time,” McIlroy said. “I’ve never won the FedEx Cup and this tour’s rankings in the same year, so it would be really nice.

“It’s been a wonderful year. I’ve played some really, really great golf and really consistent golf. If I’m able to go out there tomorrow and shoot a good score and get the job done, it would be a really nice way to end what’s been a great year.”

Fitzpatrick, projected second in the standings, could nab the title with a victory as long as McIlroy doesn’t finish solo second.

However, those two are both chasing Rahm heading to Sunday in Dubai.

“I’m hoping come tomorrow I can be a little better off the tee, and still keep the good iron play and good putting going,” Rahm said.

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Co-leader Tyrrell Hatton gets tough crowd on 18th hole after big par save at 2022 DP World Tour Championship

The two names at the top remained the same after the second round.

Tyrrell Hatton was thrilled with his par save on the 18th hole.

The crowd at Jumeirah Golf Estates? Not so much.

Hatton’s tee shot on the par 5 went into the creek meandering the fairway, so he dropped his ball about 250 yards from the green. He smoked a 3 wood  and two-putted for par. This comes a day after making bogey on the closing hole.

Yet the fans encompassing the green didn’t give much of a response to his shot.

“That’s probably one of the best 3-woods I’ve hit in my life, to be fair, and I didn’t realize it was as close as it was,” Hatton said. “It was a tough crowd on 18. Nice way to finish the day.”

Hatton fired a second-round 5-under 67 and remains tied with Matt Fitzpatrick at 12 under with 36 holes left in the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai. The duo played together Friday after matching 65s on Thursday, and they again copied each other in the second round.

Hatton’s round consisted of eight birdies, three bogeys and the clutch par save on the 18th. Meanwhile, Fitzpatrick’s first bogey of the week came on the 12th hole, but he countered with three birdies on the front and back nine to maintain a share of the lead.

Fitzpatrick has won twice before at the DP World Tour Championship. A third win would help him clinch the season-long points race.

“I feel really comfortable with where my game is at, particularly after three weeks off and looking forward to the weekend,” Fitzpatrick said.

The duo has a three-shot lead on Alex Noren and Adri Arnaus, who sit at 9 under. Jon Rahm, who shot 6-under 66 on Friday, is at 8 under and tied for fifth.

Rory McIlroy, the top-ranked player in the world and leader in the DP World Tour points race coming into the week, shot 4-under 68 on Friday and is T-11.

If Fitzpatrick—who came into the week third in the points race but now projects as the points leader—were to win, McIlroy would need to finish solo second or in a two-way tie for second to win the DP World Tour season-long championship.

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Matt Fitzpatrick, Tyrrell Hatton tied for lead after first round at 2022 DP World Tour Championship

Ever started a round with five straight birdies? Matt Fitzpatrick did on Thursday.

Matt Fitzpatrick couldn’t have started any better than he did Thursday at the 2022 DP World Tour Championship.

How about five straight birdies to begin the day? That’s what Fitzpatrick, the 2022 U.S. Open champion, did at Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai during the first round. He added another on the eighth hole, going out in 6-under 30. on the back nine, he added another birdie and didn’t have any bogeys.

Fitzpatrick carded a 7-under 65 in the first round and is tied with Tyrrell Hatton following the opening 18 holes. Hatton himself had a birdie barrage, his coming on the back nine with four straight from holes No. 13-16. He was at 8 under until a bogey on the closing par 5.

“I was laughing (at the start), to be honest,” Fitzpatrick said. “It was a nice start to the day.”

Fitzpatrick, who said he’s battling a sore throat and dry cough, hit all but one green during the opening round. He has won twice previously at Jumeirah in the DP World Tour Championship. In 2016, he beat Hatton by one shot for the title.

Hatton said his mind is still raging about a bogey on the final hole.

“It is what it is,” Hatton said.

The duo on top has a one-shot lead over Alex Noren, who shot 6-under 66 after a strong event in Houston last week on the PGA Tour.

Tommy Fleetwood, who broke a three-year winless drought last week in South Africa, sits T-5 at 4 under. Rory McIlroy, who leads the DP World Tour points standings, shot 1 under and is tied for 22nd.

If Fitzpatrick, who is third in the points race, were to win, McIlroy would need to finish solo second or in a two-way tie for second to win the DP World Tour season-long championship. If Fleetwood wins, McIlroy needs a two-way tie for third or better to win.

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Collin Morikawa closes with 66, makes history on European Tour at DP World Tour Championship

“It’s special, it’s an honor, really, to be the first American to do that on the European Tour,” said Collin Morikawa.

Collin Morikawa made history Sunday, becoming the first American to win both the DP World Tour Championship and the Race to Dubai title after his victory in the European Tour’s season-ending tournament in Dubai.

Morikawa started the final day three shots back of Rory McIlroy and then started Sunday’s round with six straight pars. Morikawa got his first birdie on the day on No. 7.

Then on the back nine, he caught fire, making birdies on five of his last seven holes, including 17 and 18, to close with a 66 to claim a three-shot win over Matthew Fitzpatrick and Alexander Bjork.

“It’s special, it’s an honor, really, to be the first American to do that on the European Tour, to put my name against many, many great Hall of Famers, it’s special,” he said.

Morikawa’s irons were sharp once again. On the 15th hole, he stuffed his approach to eight feet. On the 16th, out of a fairway bunker, he landed his ball 20 feet away to save par. He stuck one within 10 feet on the 17th.

“Two years ago, it wasn’t my thought. It was, ‘yeah, let’s go play around the world’ but we didn’t know what the cards were going to be dealt,” he said. “To have this chance and finally close it out, and not just closing it out with a top 10 or something, but to actually win the DP World Tour Championship, which concluded with the Race to Dubai, not a better way to finish.”

Billy Horschel finished second in the Race, while Jon Rahm, who skipped the season-finale, was third.

Before the tournament started, Morikawa was granted Honorary Life Membership on the tour, just the fifth American golfer—joining Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson and Patrick Reed—to receive that recognition.

McIlroy, meanwhile, shot a 2-over 74 and in an odd scene after the tournament, could be seen in the clubhouse looking at his phone with his shirt apparently ripped open.

This event puts a close on the European Tour’s season, and there will be no break before the start of the new season, as the Joburg Open in South Africa starts on Thursday. And with the new season comes a new name for the tour. Heading into its 50th year of existence, it will be known as the DP World Tour.

As a result of the title sponsorship, total prize money will exceed the $200 million mark for the first time. Also for the first time, the tour will feature three tournaments co-sanctioned with the PGA Tour – the Genesis Scottish Open, as well as the Barbasol Championship and the Barracuda Championship taking place in the United States – as a result of the “Strategic Alliance” between male professional golf’s two leading Tours.

Adam Schupak contributed to this article.

Shane Lowry, two others lead while Rory McIlroy sits one back at DP World Tour Championship

Fellow Irish Olympians set to dual over the weekend in Dubai.

Rory McIlroy held the 18-hole lead at the DP World Tour Championship, and was once again cruising along throughout his second round until his third shot on the par-5 18th found the water. He would eventually make double-bogey, falling from the solo-lead into a tie for fourth.

“I hit a good drive down there yesterday, it’s a comfortable tee shot for me,” McIlroy said when asked about his decision to hit the big stick on the last. “It was playing slightly back into the wind, I hit that tee shot really well, I actually didn’t expect it to go as far as it did.”

“The third shot, I hit a really good shot. That part of the fairway where the ball was was quite thatchy and it just came off a little spinny up into the wind. I hit a good golf shot, I didn’t feel like it deserved to end up in the water.

“Still right in the golf tournament.”

McIlroy will be paired with fellow TaylorMade staffer Collin Morikawa during the third round Saturday.

Another Irishman finds himself tied atop the board, Shane Lowry. The 2019 Open Champion fired a second-round 65, tied for the best round of the day with co-leader John Catlin.  His bogey-free effort included an incredible hole-out for eagle on the par-5 14th.

“That was one of my better ones. That was as good a chip I’ve hit in a while. I knew when I missed over there it was going to be difficult,” Lowry said of the short game magic. “It was one of those that just, I seen the shot and I just went for it.”

His performance this week comes with some surprise, as the Olympian missed the cut in his last two starts (Houston Open, Mayakoba).

Two players are tied with Lowry at 10 under, the American Catlin, and Sam Horsfield, who has already made 13 birdies and an eagle in his first two rounds.

Morikawa, who currently leads the Race to Dubai and would be the first American to win the award, fired a 68 for the second consecutive day and is tied for sixth, just two shots back.

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‘Feeling like I’ve got my golf game back’: Rory McIlroy leads European Tour finale; Collin Morikawa 3 back

Rory McIlroy opened with a 65, then spoke of a renewed confidence in his game.

Rory McIlroy has two wins and seven top-5s in 10 appearances on the Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai.

Thursday’s opening round of the European Tour’s season finale was more of the same, as McIlroy fired a 7-under 65 to take a two-shot lead at the DP World Tour Championship.

After his round, McIlroy talked about the comforts of playing a course he really seems to like.

“I think (I’ve got) a lot of experience around this place, a lot of great memories and memories of great shots and great putts,” he said.

He went on to express a renewed confidence in his game.

“I feel I’m a big boy now. I’ve been around the block a bit and if I have problems or struggles, I should be able to sort them out myself. Instead of looking to others to fix my problems, I’m going to take responsibility a bit and that’s what I did after the Ryder Cup.

“I maybe don’t set my standards high enough sometimes. They are high but getting into contention in one major this year isn’t good enough for me.

“I’ve done way better than that before and I know I can again, especially with how I’m playing and feeling like I’ve got my golf game back, basically. So I’m excited. … about the road ahead because I really feel like I’m on the right path.”

Joachim Hansen, Christiaan Bezuidenhout and Tapio Pulkkanen are tied for second after each shot a 67.

DP World Tour Championship 2021
Collin Morikawa of United States plays his second shot at the 18th hole during the first round of the 2021 DP World Tour Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images

Collin Morikawa, who was granted Honorary Life Membership on the Euro Tour earlier this week, is three shots back after a first-round 68. Morikawa is just the fifth American golfer—joining Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson and Patrick Reed—to receive that recognition. Morikawa is in a 10-way tie for fifth, along with Sergio Garcia among others.

Morikawa leads the Euro Tour’s Race to Dubai and seeks to become the first American winner of that award.

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