Louis de Jager was in front with two holes to play in the delayed first round of the DP World Tour’s Hero Dubai Desert Classic on Friday when he made a double-bogey on his second-last hole, the eighth on his was to a six-under-par 66.
De Jager rode a purple patch around the turn after starting on the 10th, with birdies on 16, 17 and 18, and then an eagle on the first. He followed that with yet another birdie on the second, and he was on eight-under and in front. But he dropped a shot on the fifth, and then came the double on the eighth after he regained the dropped shot on the seventh.
In the end, it was good enough for a share of third after the round was done. The lead was shared by amateur Ludvig Aberg from Sweden and England’s Ian Poulter. Oliver Bekker and Hennie du Plessis were in a share of 11th on four-under. Jacques Kruyswijk was on three-under, and Thriston Lawrence was on two-under.
