Justin Harding still had the 18th hole to complete on Thursday, but he made a fine start in the opening round of the DP World Tour’s Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic at Emirates Golf Club as he was at six-under-par, just one off the lead.
It was a fine start for Harding, as he made five birdies on the opening nine in the first eight holes, before dropping his only shot of the day on the ninth. He rectified that immediately with a birdie on the 10th, and then made pars all the way to the 17th. There, he hit his approach from the middle of the fairway to just inside three feet for an easy birdie before darkness descended. He will have to finish his final hole in the morning.
Harding was one shot behind Joachim B Hansen of Denmark who had a bogey-free round for his seven-under-par 65. Behind Harding were five players finished on five-under-par, including Sergio Garcia, Tommy Fleetwood and Pablo Larrazabal. Fabrizio Zanotti of Paraguay was also on five-under and he also had to complete the 18th.
One shot further back on four-under was Brandon Stone, who had the kind of start which could lead to the kind of week he needs to kickstart his 2022 campaign. He made five birdies and a bogey, and was in a share of ninth.
Justin Walters and Erik van Rooyen were solid in their opening rounds, and, on three-under, were in a share of 15th. Garrick Higgo and George Coetzee were in a share of 27th on two-under, while Dean Burmester was on one-under. Daniel van Tonder was on one-over, with Richard Sterne and Charl Schwartzel on two-over. Thriston Lawrence was back from a Covid-19-enforced break, and carded a four-over, while Darren Fichardt brought up the rear of the field with an eight-over 80.
