Tag: Yas Links

‘It would be incredible’: In search of making European Ryder Cup team, Francesco Molinari tied for lead at Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship

Francesco Molinari wants to be a member of the European Ryder Cup team this fall.

There’s no sugar-coating it: Francesco Molinari wants to be a member of the European Ryder Cup team this fall.

For the Italian, to represent the European squad on home soil would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and it would mean Molinari had found some form from 5 years ago when he won his only major championship at Carnoustie.

That’s why his start at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship at Yas Links in the United Arab Emirates is a confidence boost, though Molinari knows there’s plenty of golf left to be played. He’s tied for the lead with fellow countryman Guido Migliozzi at 10 under after the second round, searching for his first win in four years and a big boost to make it back on the Ryder Cup squad.

“I don’t want to get ahead of myself,” Molinari said. “It’s a couple of good rounds but I know, I’m aware of where I’m coming from. So like I said yesterday, the game feels different. I think it looks different, too. But yeah, it’s just two rounds, so a long way to go.”

The Ryder Cup is scheduled for Sept. 29-Oct. 1 at Marco Simone in Rome.

Molinari’s game dipped following a three-win stretch in 2018-19. At one point, he was ranked as high as fifth in the Official World Golf Ranking. Now, he’s at 166. He didn’t make the European Ryder Cup team in 2021 after playing in three previous editions of the competition.

After consecutive 5-under 67s to begin in Abu Dhabi, he’s in position to get a big boost in making the team. His brother, Edoardo, will be an assistant captain for the Europeans, too.

“I think obviously you don’t need my answer; it would be incredible (to be on the team),” Molinari said. “Yeah, there’s many months to go. It’s obviously nice to start the season this way. I never needed a pick for my three Ryder Cups, so it would be nice not to need a pick again this year.”

Migliozzi shot 3-under 69 on Friday to follow up his stellar opening round of 7-under 65. The pair lead Jason Scrivener by a shot.

Luke Donald, the 2023 European Ryder Cup captain who led after a first-round 64, shot 3 over and is T-22.

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Luke Donald, playing captain? He’s not ready to go there, but he leads the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship after day one

“We’re a long way from that,” Donald said when asked to be playing captain at 2023 Ryder Cup.

Is it too late for Luke Donald to declare himself a playing captain for the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome?

If he continues to play the way he did Thursday at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, that might be a decision he has to make later on this year.

“Playing here the last couple days I felt like there was some low scores out here as long as the wind didn’t blow too hard. It kinda suits my eye,” Donald said after his round at Yas Links.

Guess he was right.

Donald started strong with a birdie at the 10th, his first of the day. He’d go on to make three more birdies on his front side to turn in 4-under 32. The European Ryder Cup captain traded a birdie and a bogey on Nos. 2 and 3 (his 11th and 12th), before going on a run. Donald put circles on the card from Nos. 6-9 to come home in 32 for an 8-under 64 day one.

“I putted very nicely today, other than one three putt on the third hole for my only bogey. Made a couple long ones, but just was very tidy,” Donald said. “Maybe a little inspired by watching some good golf from last week (Hero Cup).

He was later asked about making his own Ryder Cup team.

“1975 was the last time that happened. We’re a long way from that.”

Guido Migliozzi and Jason Scrivener are one shot behind Donald at 7 under while Seamus Power is at 6 under. Shane Lowry is at 5 under with the Molinari brothers and Tommy Fleetwood is one back of them at 4 under.

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Watch: Rory McIlroy, Collin Morikawa, and Tyrrell Hatton attempting to hit one-yard fairway is as good as it gets

The DP World Tour has always brought the heat in social content.

There’s one thing the DP World Tour (formally known as the European Tour) has always done better than the PGA Tour — social media content. Sure, the PGA Tour has stepped up its game recently with the year-end reviews video and the Shorties Classic, but the Tour’s European counterparts have owned the space for years.

That trend continued Friday.

The DP World Tour sent Rory McIlroy, Collin Morikawa, and Tyrrell Hatton to a race track to see if they could hit a one-yard wide fairway in regulation.

The result was hilarious.

Hatton, known for his one-liners on the course, encouraged his teammates to throw their drivers at one point.

“Throw it. It doesn’t make you a bad person.”

Watch the full video below.

Watch: Blustering wind dominates field in Abu Dhabi before play suspended due to darkness

Intense wind made an even-par effort an incredible feat.

It’s not often that the weather absolutely dominates the field during a round of golf. Friday in Abu Dhabi was one of those days.

This week the DP World Tour is at Yas Links for the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. Scott Jamieson fired a first-round 9-under 63 and began the second 18 with a  one-shot lead over Viktor Hovland. Like many in the field, Jamieson went the wrong way Friday, signing for a 2-over 74. All in all, the second round effort was impressive and good enough to stay ahead of the pack — for now.

“It certainly wasn’t easy,” he said. “It’s so tricky, obviously hitting shots is tricky with all the gusts but the hardest thing is putting. You get over the ball and you feel like you’ve got to be so tense to stop everything moving but that’s the worst thing you can do when you’re trying to putt. I holed a lot of really good putts from inside five feet today which kept my score respectable.”

You may be asking: “Was it really that bad?” Take a look for yourself.

Hovland, like Jamieson, carded a 2-over 74 — 10 shots worse than his opening round effort. The Norwegian finished before darkness forced a suspension and will be in prime position heading into the weekend.

James Morrison, after starting the week with a 6-under 66, was through 14 holes when the horns blew. He currently stands at even par for his second round with a chance to earn the 36-hole lead with a solid finish Saturday morning.

Notable names in the field and where they stand:

Ian Poulter (T-2)
Shane Lowry (T-5)
Adam Scott (T-16)
Tyrrell Hatton (T-23)
Tommy Fleetwood (T-30)
Collin Morikawa (T-60)
Rory McIlroy (T-60)

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After two months off, DP World Tour back in action in Abu Dhabi

United Arab Emirates hosts the first of four consecutive events.

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The DP World Tour (formerly known as the European Tour) saw its 2021-22 season get off to rocky start.

The season-opening Joburg Open in November was rocked by the omnicron COVID outbreak and shortened to 36 holes. Then the next two events were canceled.

This week, the tour is back on track at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship at Yas Links in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. It’s the first of four straight events in the UAE and has drawn the likes of Rory McIlroy, Viktor Hovland, Ian Poulter, Tyrrell Hatton and Shane Lowry.

After the first round, though, it’s Scott Jamieson in the lead. His 9-under 63 set the pace after 18 holes.

“It’s eight weeks off from tournament golf out here so you’re always a little bit on edge probably to start off the day but birdie at the first kind of settled any edge there was and it was just really solid all day,” he said. “This is the first off-season I haven’t actually peeled the skin back and tried to figure out how to get better.”

Hovland shot a 64 and is a one back. Thomas Pieters is solo third after firing a 65. Defending champion Tyrrell Hatton, James Morrison, Ian Poulter, Takumi Kanaya and Victor Perez are all tied for fourth at 6 under. Rory McIlroy had four birdies but also four bogeys and shot even-par 72, good for a tie for 77th.

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