Richard Sterne, a great start in the desert

Richard Sterne is the great protagonist of the first round of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic of golf. In the United Arab Emirates, the South African, with a partial of 64 (-8) leads the ranking with one shot ahead of the American Kurt Kitayama, second with 65 (-7), and two over his compatriot Justin Harding and the spanish Sergio Garcia (the best so far among the big names in the race and winner in 2017), both 3° with 66 (-6).

Richard Sterne, Omega Dubai Desert Classic

In the second stage of the European Tour 2021 the big favorites of the eve are chasing. The English Tommy Fleetwood is 9° (68, -4) like the German Martin Kaymer. While Lee Westwood (number 1 in Europe in 2020) is 17° (69, -3) and precedes the Irish Shane Lowry, 20° (70, -2) like the British Matthew Fitzpatrick. The best among the italians (with three birdies in the second nine after two bogeys in the first part of the race) is Guido Migliozzi, 37° (71, -1) alongside, among others, the American Collin Morikawa (fourth in the world ranking), the English Justin Rose (gold medal at the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Games) and the spanish Nacho Elvira, protagonist of a hole in one show at hole 11 (par 3), with the ball landed directly in the hole after a shot from 170 yards (over 155 meters).

On the route of the Emirates GC (par 72) nothing to do for Andrea Pavan. In doubt until the eve of an injury that he had already forced to retire from the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, the roman player gritted his teeth and took the field. However, his race lasted 13 holes before the new forfeit. The other italians do not shine. Renato Paratore and Lorenzo Gagli share 89° position (74, +2). Similar score for the Australian Lucas Herbert, defending champion.

Nino Bertasio, reduced from 35° place in Abu Dhabi, is instead 105° (75, +3). The big disappointment of the day, however, is represented by Tyrrell Hatton (world number 5) who, after the triumph (the fourth in a Rolex Series event, equaled Jon Rahm's record) in Abu Dhabi HSBC is likely to go out to the cut in Dubai . The Englishman is 115° (76, +4) - like Edoardo Molinari from Turin - and he will be called to comeback to avoid elimination.

The Omega Dubai Desert Classic (won in the past by greats of the discipline such as Severiano Ballesteros and Tiger Woods), which is giving away a prize money of 3,250,000 euros, started in the sign of Sterne, 39 years old from Pretoria with 6 titles on the circuit the last of which arrived in 2013 at the Joburg Open.

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/36npT60