DUBAI (ALETIHAD)

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 on Thursday.

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.

“Obviously, good comes to mind,” said Molinari. “Not super unexpected but I wasn’t expecting a score like that. Last week I felt very rusty, so I was hoping it would be very good prep for this week. The putter was the biggest difference, to be honest. Made some nice putts. Kept the round going in the middle where I played a couple of iffy holes and made some good pars.”

Molinari returned to form after an indifferent 2025 DP World Tour campaign with a top-10 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 has recently reunited with long-time coach Denis Pugh in search of his best form. “I’ve changed everything and then I’ve changed back,” he explained. “I’m back working with Denis Pugh. That’s been really nice. He doesn’t travel to tournaments anymore but I see him just a day a month at home, and he’s always been great at simplifying stuff for me and clearing stuff out of my mind that doesn’t need to be there.”

Molinari briefly joined Mikael Lindberg at the summit before the Swede closed with a birdie to set the clubhouse target at five under. “It was a great day,” said Lindberg. “We’re off to a very hot start and holed a few good putts there in the beginning and then kind of slowed down a little bit. But managed to birdie the last. That was good.”

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 Race to Dubai.

South Africa’s JC Ritchie started with an eagle at the 10th 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.