Francesco Molinari rolled back the years with a stunning 65 to lead by two shots after a windy first round at the 2026 Hero Dubai Desert Classic.
Related: McIlroy eyes fifth Dubai win amid monumental week
The Italian, who has not been in the winner’s circle since lifting the 147th Open Championship at Carnoustie in 2018, made light work of the breezy conditions at Emirates Golf Club thanks to eight birdies and one dropped shot.
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Molinari returned to form after an indifferent 2025 DP World Tour campaign with a top-ten finish at the Nedbank Golf Challenge in honour of Gary Player in December before starting the calendar year with back-to-back events in Dubai.
The 43-year-old briefly joined Mikael Lindberg at the summit before the Swede closed with a birdie to set the clubhouse target at five under.
However, Molinari finished his round with three consecutive birdies to carve open a two-shot advantage and take the overnight lead at the opening Rolex Series event of the 2026 Race to Dubai.
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JC Ritchie started with an eagle at the tenth before birdies at the 13th and 18th offset a bogey at the 15th.
The South African moved to within one of Molinari with a hat-trick of birdies from the second, but he double bogeyed the sixth and finished at four under alongside Swiss Joel Girrbach.
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Japan’s Yuto Katsuragawa, China’s Wenyi Ding, Spaniard Manuel Elvira, Italy’s Andrea Pavan, Germany’s Nicolai Von Dellingshausen and American pair Patrick Reed and Johannes Veerman were in a share of fifth at three under.
Tyrrell Hatton opened his title defence with a two under par 70 to sit alongside Ryder Cup team mate Shane Lowry among the group of 12 players one shot further back.
Three groups will return to finish their first round on Friday morning after play was suspended due to darkness at 17:50.
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Meanwhile, Ross Fisher reached a major career milestone at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, making his 500th start on the DP World Tour – an achievement that underlines his longevity and consistency at the highest level of the game.
The Englishman is one of a select group to reach the landmark, having spent more than two decades competing on the DP World Tour.
Across his career, Fisher has claimed five DP World Tour titles, represented Europe at the 2010 Ryder Cup, and produced several standout performances, including a course-record 61 at St Andrews.
