Jumeirah Golf Estates’ Earth Course has been a happy hunting ground for Matt Fitzpatrick, who has two wins and three other top-ten finishes to his name from seven visits. And on Friday, Fitz made a really fast start with five straight birdies to start his quest to take the Race To Dubai from world No. 1 Rory McIlroy.
By the time the sun set over the Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai the U.S. Open champion was tied for the day one lead with wacky Terrell Hatton as both put seven-under par 65s on the scoreboard.
The first 18 was a struggle for McIlroy as he battled an un-cooperative putter.
“Certainly not what I was hoping for,” McIlroy said after shooting a one-under par 71. “Three under through eight holes, thinking a solid start with some chances coming up and just started to drive the ball a little crooked on the back nine. Made that bogey on 12 and didn’t birdie 14 or 15, and then an unforced error with the three-putt on 16. It was nice to birdie the last just to shoot under par. I’ve had three weeks off since the CJ Cup, so I’m trying to knock the rust off a little bit. There was enough good stuff in there, I made five birdies and hit some decent shots, just need to be a little tidier tomorrow.
“It’s not far away,” McIlroy said of the form he’s had for the most of 2022. “It’s not as if there’s anything that I need to drastically work on. “Thankfully there’s three rounds left, go out and shoot a good one tomorrow and be ready for the weekend.”
Rory also talked about the need to keep drives in the fairway on the Earth course. “They have not over-seeded it this year, so it’s just that pure Bermuda and the ball sits right at the bottom,” he said of the rough. “It’s very rare you get a decent lie to even have chance to hold the green or even get it up to the green. There’s a bigger premium on accuracy this year and I definitely found that out on the back nine today.”
On Friday, McIlroy was equally unimpressive until the last three holes where he finished birdie-birdie-eagle for a four-under par 68 that got him to five-under par and kept him somewhat in touch with the leaders.
“I had a perfect number at 18, into the wind, for a four-iron,” which McIlroy hit for his second into the closing par five and it was near-perfection. It hit short of the holed, took one hop then rolled like a putt, taking a glance at the hole before stopping just three feet from the cup.
“Helps the mindset going into the weekend, there are a lot of holes left, a lot of opportunities,” McIlroy said.
On Friday, Fitzpatrick was paired with the volatile Hatton, who missed the chance to lead by himself on Friday but a poor drive led to a closing bogey, his only hiccup of the day. “Obviously it was a good day. Hit a lot of good shots. Putter was great. Kind of happy with that start. “Although my head’s a bit fried at the moment. My mind is just raging at the last there. But it is what it is,” Hatton said, angry at his closing six.
The On Friday, it was more good play from that final pair of Fitzpatrick and Hatton. By day’s end they fought to a standoff — both shot 67s and stood 12-under, the only players at double-digits under par.
McIlroy goes into the chase mode, seven shots back.
He’s got his work cut out for him.
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