Knox Loses Appetite After Posting 73 On DP World Debut

Dubai, UAE ….

Russell Knox somewhat lost his appetite after posting a one-over par 73 on the opening day of his maiden DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.

Knox managed two birdies along with one bogey but sticking out on his scorecard like the proverbial dog’s hind leg was a sixth hole double-bogey where he found water with his tee shot.

It left the lone Scot in the field seven shots adrift of the leading duo of England’s Jordan Smith and Spaniard Adrian Otaegui who posted six-under par 66s.

Smith capped his round playing the last six holes in six-under thanks to a 14th hole eagle and four birdies in the Earth Course at Jumeirah Estates.

Russell Knox delights the scorer in his group with an autographed ball

European No. 1 elect and Open Champion, Francesco Molinari had moved into a share of the lead with six birdies in his opening 14 holes but then dropped shots at 16 and three-putted the last for bogey in a round of 68.

The Italian is sharing fifth place and one clear of Race to Dubai rival Tommy Fleetwood (69).

Knox left the scorer’s hut to then dig into his golf bag and realise he’d left a sandwich in the bag but after four hours in the searing Dubai heat and humidity it was not what the current No. 14 on the Race to Dubai wanted to digest.

He said: “It wasn’t that bad a day in the office as I played okay and just hit one bad shot on the par-3 sixth to make double-bogey.

The walking scoreboard showing Knox posting a 73.

“I thought the course today played very difficult with the pin positions tucked away, so I didn’t play anywhere good enough to shoot anywhere near what the guys leading shot.

“It was hot out there but then we are used to playing in the heat and what I did find difficult was walking off the tees in among the woodchips in place between the tees and fairways as it is definitely a hard-walking course.

“I know come Sunday I will be ready to leave this place”.

Knox got his round going in holing a 12-footer for birdie at the third hole and then after the double on six, he holed an eight-footer for par on seven and then posted a bogey on nine.

The current Race to Dubai No. 14 then played his back-nine in one-under including one-putted the 13th to 17th holes, and managing to birdie 17 after landing a 5-iron to five-feet ahead of a par at the last.

Knox hit 11 of the 14 fairways and produced 29 putts in his round before joining his wife, Andrea to find comfort in the air-conditioned clubhouse.

He said: “The thing is hopefully that’s my poor round for the week as I battled away and it could have been a lot worse.

“I made three very good pars in a row from 13 and while I did birdie 17, my birdie putt at the last stopped just short of the hole.

“So, to finish birdie and then par up 18 was a positive way to finish and while it could have been a lot worse, one-over is not that bad.”



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