… Jumeirah Estates, Dubai
The five Scots teeing-up this week were each tested in sweltering conditions on the opening round of the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.
Up front, the England duo of US Open champ, Matthew Fitzpatrick and Tyrrell Hatton, lead the elite 50-player field with seven-under 65s and Fitzpatrick lighting-up the course with five birdies in succession off the bat.
However, the birdies dried-up as Fitzpatrick played the closing 11 holes in just two-under.
Tyrrell Hatton sharing the lead at the end of the opening round of the 2022 DPWTC
Richie Ramsay finished the day the leading Tartan golfer, posting a three-under par 69 while Robert McIntyre and David Law are just a shot back at two-under.
McIntyre did not impress many spectators following his group in slamming his club into the ground on the 18th fairway after putting his second shot into water ahead of taking a double in a round of a two-under 70. What irked the spectators was not the show of frustration but the fact there was no effort made to repair the fairway.
The heat may have also have been a factor when Law called a penalty on himself by bizarrely taking a preferred lie on the final fairway when it hadn’t rained in Dubai for well over a month. However he can be forgiven as there was a ‘preferred lie’ rule in place last week at Sun City. He also signed for a 70.
Ramsay ended his round being met by a Tour medical official who advised he was required to undergo a drugs test in the clubhouse. Though providing a sample, when it so hot, is not always easy and he was being advised to eat food and not drink fluids. Ramsay was among many others randomly selected, was required to provide a drugs-testing sample.
Speaking of his round Ramsay said: “It was a good round, as I played solid tee-to-green but it’s tricky out there because if you don’t hit the fairways you’re in real trouble.
“Though to the key to my round was definitely my putting, as that’s the best I’ve putted all season.”
Law had just entered the scorer’s hut when a stunning ‘V-shaped’ flypast of an Emirates 380 and seven Red Arrows display jets flew over the Earth Course and with Law rushing to the door of the scorer’s hut and like all, impressed with the sight
David Law putting out at the 18th on day one of the DPWTC
Law said: “That was pretty cool and very timely flying over just as I finished the round.”
Law is making his first appearance here at the elite, no-cut DP World Tour finale, and with his final hole birdie last Sunday at the Nedbank Challenge assuring the Scot 51st place on the Race to Dubai money-list, and two places inside the leading 53 teeing-up this week.
His opening day’s effort was a mix of four birdies and while sticking out like the proverbial sore thumb is an eight-hole double, it was his actions of a sun-baked course in taking a preferred lie at the last that slightly soured what should have been a three-under tally
Law said: “It was a good day’s work in the end. This is my first time playing here, and I only saw the course for the first time yesterday. It’s playing tough with the rough up, the greens nice and firm and the pins pretty tough to get at.
“My patience was key today. I was pretty steady. Holed some good putts near the turn that kept the round going. So, two-under is a nice start”.
Fifer Connor Syme posted a one-over 73 and double Tour-winning Ewen Ferguson, and out with Jon Rahm, a 76.
