The new Yas Links were picture perfect for the opening round of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and young Viktor Hovland kept his 2021 momentum going into 2022.
Hovland, winner at Mayakoba last November then at the Hero World Challenge in December, opened with a nifty eight-under par 64 Thursday that left him just a shot behind first round leader Scott Jamieson.
“It was nice,” Hovland said of his start. “I didn’t hit the best shots early on but managed to get away with it and made a bunch of putts today. There are some tricky pins out there and obviously the greens are very severe. I don’t know, this grass, I just feel really comfortable putting on the paspalum grass and I read the greens perfectly. I just started on my line and this is a day where those putts go in and I was able to take advantage of it.”
Jamieson established the new tournament record with his nine-under effort, This is a new site for the event and the course conditions were absolutely pristine. As result, Jamieson had a clean, nine-birdie, no-bogey card.
Defending champion Tyrrell Hatton put himself in the hunt with an opening 66 that put him at six-under with four-other players including fellow Englishman Ian Poulter.
It wasn’t the greatest of days for the two biggest names in the field.
Rory McIlroy had putting issues and a couple of missed fairways resulted in bogeys. McIlroy played the back nine first and was in good shape — two-under through his first eight holes and after a nice drive in the middle of the par five 18th fairway, he had an iron in for his second and hooked it into the water, resulting in bogey. He was still two-under with four holes to play but he bogeyed three of his final four holes, including back-to-back bogeys to finish an unimpressive day at even par.
Collin Morikawa, the world’s No. 2 and one of the pre-tournament favorites, fought a balky putter most of the day and finished with a one-over par 73 that left him tied for 90th position.
While conditions were perfect for scoring on day one, that will not be the case for Friday’s second round. Winds are predicted to blow, perhaps as strong as 30-35 miles per hour and could make for difficult scoring.
Hovland, hearing the news, reflected on his start: “That’s why it was important to get off to a good start,” he said.
As Predicted, The Winds Came Up Big On Day Two:
Friday was a day worthy of the East Lothian region in Scotland with winds blowing steadily at 20-25 miles per hour, gusting up to 30.
In the morning wave, Viktor Hovland lost only two shots to par. His 74 got him in at six-under along with Ian Poulter, who got it around in even par — a great score on day two.
Jeff Winther had the best Friday round. He went out early and was the only player to break 70. His 69 got him to four-under and just three off the lead heading into the weekend.
Scott Jamieson birdied his next-to-last hole of the day, the par three eighth. He finished with 74, fell back from nine-under to seven under but still held the 36-hole lead.
The cut came at three-over par and Rory McIlroy needed birdie at his final hole, the 18th, to make it. His second was 44 yards short of the green but he hit a masterful pitch to four feet and holed the putt to shoot 75 and make the cut on the number. Rory lived up to his reputation as a sub-standard wind player.
The other big name, world No. 2 Collin Morikawa, also made the cut on the number. Rounds of 73-74 put him in at three-over.
, McIlroy, Morikawa Struggle In Abu Dhabi){kind=link}