Lorenzo-Vera Leads Big Guns At DP World Tour Championship

France’s Mike Lorenzo-Vera holds the lead of the season-ending DP World Tour Championship after a splendid first round of 63 in Dubai.

Lorenzo-Vera posted the lowest ever opening round at this tournament, thanks to eight birdies, an eagle and a bogey around the Earth Course at the Jumeirah Golf Estates.

The Frenchman, who is yet to win a European Tour event, started strongly, with an eagle at the par-5 2nd, followed by a birdie on the 3rd. He then finished strongly, with six birdies in his final eight holes, including birdieing the last four to post a nine-under-par round of 63.

Lorenzo-Vera holds a one-shot lead from the three-time Race to Dubai champion Rory McIlroy, who eagled the last, thanks to this epic approach shot, to card a 64 and sit at -8.

The four-time major winner also had a fast start, with five birdies in his opening seven holes. After a rough spell round the turn, McIlroy bounced back with birdies at 15 and 16, followed by an eagle at the finishing hole.

The leading challenger for the Race to Dubai crown is Spain’s Jon Rahm, who sits in 3rd spot, three shots behind the French leader.

More from Pro Golf Now

• Golf Rumors: LIV set to sign Masters Champion in stunning deal
• Fantasy Golf: Grant Thornton Invitational DFS Player Selections
• Brutal return leaves Will Zalatoris looking towards 2024
• Stars You Know at World Champions Cup Starts Thursday at Concession
• Fantasy Golf: An Early Look at the 2024 Masters Tournament

Rahm shot a bogey-free 66 around the Earth Course, helped by a stroke of luck on the last as his tee shot narrowly missed the water. Tommy Fleetwood, another of the men challenging for the season’s overall prize, also needed some luck on the last, as his tee shot hit a flat rock next to the stream, and bounced high and long onto the fairway.

Fleetwood sits alongside fellow Englishman Tom Lewis at -5, who eagled the last to bounce back from a bogey at the penultimate hole.

Last week’s runner-up at the Nedbank Golf Challenge, Marcus Kinhult, is in a tie for 6th alongside Rafa Cabrera Bello, while Justin Rose and Francesco Molinari are among the group at -3, six back.

Reigning DP World Tour Championship winner Danny Willet is also in that group, along with Thomas Detry, Haotong Li and Matthias Schwab.

Race to Dubai leader Bernd Wiesberger recovered from a slow start at Jumeirah to post an opening round of 70, and he sits alongside Matt Wallace and Louis Oosthuizen, both inside the top ten on the Race to Dubai leaderboard, at -2.

Matthew Fitzpatrick and Erik van Rooyen, also inside that top ten, are amongst the group at -1, alongside the two major contenders for Rookie of the Year, in Robert MacIntyre and Kurt Kitayama.

30 players are under par after the opening day, with the likes of Lee Westwood, Paul Casey, Tyrrell Hatton and Shane Lowry all not making it under 72. The four of them are in the group in a tie for 33rd at +1, while two-time Race to Dubai champion Henrik Stenson sits a further shot back.

Leaderboard:

• 1 (-9): Mike Lorenzo-Vera (FRA)
• 2 (-8): Rory McIlroy (NIR)
• 3 (-6): Jon Rahm (ESP)
• T4 (-5): Tommy Fleetwood (ENG), Tom Lewis (ENG)

Selected Others:

• T8 (-3): Justin Rose (ENG), Danny Willet (ENG), Francesco Molinari (ITA)
• T14 (-2): Matt Wallace (ENG), Louis Oosthuizen (RSA), Bernd Wiesberger (AUT)
• T21 (-1): Matthew Fitzpatrick (ENG), Erik van Rooyen (RSA), Kurt Kitayama (USA), Robert MacIntyre (SCO), Sergio Garcia (ESP), Christian Bezuidenhout (RSA)
• T33 (+1): Lee Westwood (ENG), Paul Casey (ENG), Tyrrell Hatton (ENG), Shane Lowry (IRL)
• T41 (+2): Ian Poulter (ENG), Patrick Reed (USA), Henrik Stenson (SWE)

Projected Race to Dubai Top Five:

1. (=): Bernd Wiesberger (AUT)
2. (+1): Jon Rahm (ESP)
3. (-1): Tommy Fleetwood (ENG)
4. (+2): Rory McIlroy (NIR)
5. (-1): Shane Lowry (IRL)