Abu Dhabi, Nov 6 – The 2025 Abu Dhabi Championship, the DP World Tour’s penultimate stop, began with a bang. Fresh off a win in the opening DP World India Championship, Tommy Fleetwood opened the first round with a fiery 64, sharing the top spot with his Ryder Cup teammate Shane Lowry. The front‑and‑center score reads eight under par, joined by New Zealand’s Kazuma Kobori, South Africa’s Richard Sterne and France’s Adrien Saddier.
Rory McIlroy, the Race to Dubai champion and current world number one, also rolled in from India. He posted a solid four‑under 68, matching teammate Ludvig Åberg, who wowed fans with an ace on the par‑three eighth. McIlroy’s closest course‑challenger, Marco Penge, sits just one shot behind the front‑five.
Fleetwood’s opening day was picture‑perfect. He recorded eight birdies and no bogeys, turning a front‑Nine front of four birdies into an early advantage and adding more in the back‑Nine. Shane Lowry mirrored the performance with nine birdies, dropping just one shot. Adrien Saddier went on a birdie spree early, reaching nine under before a bogey on the 17th brought him back to tie.
Richard Sterne gave the field another thrill. He opened with two eagles and closed the round with a dramatic 75‑foot three at the 18th. Former champion Kenny O’Neill, Scott Burns and J.D. Maley also posted steady 65s, rounding out the next tier of competitors.
Other highlights included a hole‑in‑one by Ludvig Åberg, who sent his ball inches from the cup on the eighth. Fleetwood, a two‑time champion, opened with two back‑to‑back birdies that set the tone for the day, quickly adding more to reach eight under.
Fans and commentators alike are watching the Abu Dhabi Championship closely, as the field battles for playoff spots and a lucrative finish to the DP World Tour schedule. With strong starts from the likes of Fleetwood, Lowry, and McIlroy, the competition remains tight and the stakes are high.
Source: ianslive
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