Two tied for DP Worlds lead, slow start by Sharma

By Rahul Banerji

Spain’s Adrian Otaegui and Jordan Smith of England opened with 66s to lead on day one of the season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai on Thursday.

Smith eased home in six under par and and was joined by Otaegui, who had a bogey-free round at the Jumeirah Golf Estates’ Earth Course.

In the the Race to Dubai, Francesco Molinari was two shots ahead of defending champion Tommy Fleetwood, who needs a win to overtake his Ryder Cup partner.

Shubhankar Sharma leading the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year award finished the day at one over par 73 and in a tie for 47^th place.

Strong start

Sharma opened with three birdies in his first five holes. All three conversions came off long putts but he also dropped two shots to make the turn in one-under par 35.

The inbound nine was a disappointment for the 22 year old with four bogeys denting his card.

Sharma limited the damage with two birdies, just enough to position himself for a trademark charge.

His closest rivals for rookie honours, Sam Horsfield of England and Australia’s Lucas Herbert, had similar cards to Sharma’s.

While Horsfield was also T47 on 73, Herbert was a further stroke behind.

Sharma currently sits on 1,381,291 points and needs to just finish ahead of hs two chasers for the rookie of the year award.

Tough target

Japan’s veteran Hideto Tanihara had set the target at three under early in the day and Danny Willett of England was the first player past him, the European Tour website said.

Willett birdied the second hole but gave the shot back on the fourth before putting his approach to tap-in range on the sixth.

Birdies on the eighth and tenth would follow and while Willett dropped a shot on the 13th, he picked it straight back up on the next.

Another birdie on the par-three 17th gave him the lead but he was soon joined by Smith who produced a remarkable burst of scoring.

On the move

Otaegui had a birdie-birdie start and then added another on the seventh to turn in 33.

Two more gained shots brought him within one shot of the lead and a stunning third into the last set up a closing birdie.

Jon Rahm birdied the first hole, almost aced the par-three sixth and then made further gains on the seventh.

The Spaniard made an excellent par save from the bushes on the tenth and then holed a six-footer at the 12th.

Molinari holed from ten feet on the first, 15 feet on the fifth and hit a nice chip on the seventh before holing a chip for par on the next.

Fleetwood had a single birdie on the seventh in his first nine holes.

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