Donald leads the way in day one of the DP World Tour Championship
The world’s top two players seem destined to flex their Race to Dubai muscles at the DP World Tour Championship this week after Luke Donald – winner of the 2011 Race to Dubai – and 2012 champion Rory McIlroy were among several big names to stamp their class on day one of the $8 million tournament staged on the Earth course at Jumeirah Golf Estates yesterday (Thursday). World Number Two Donald’s opening salvo of seven birdies in a bogey free 65 (-7) sees him one shot clear of McIlroy, Scotland’s Marc Warren and Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano of Spain who all carded opening rounds of 66 (-6) on a day that started with a Dubai rainstorm and ended up in golfing sunshine.
For Donald, aiming to win his fourth title of the year on a fourth different continent, it was a fitting riposte after having his Race to Dubai crown snatched away by 23 year-old McIlroy less than seven days earlier.
But with just three shots covering the top 20 players, the stage is perfectly poised for a tournament that brings the curtain down on The European Tour’s Race to Dubai while living up to its billing as the Greatest Weekend on Earth.
“There was a lot more at stake for me last year, so obviously I felt a little bit more pressure then than I do now,” said Donald, who went in to last year’s DP World Tour Championship on the verge of winning The Race to Dubai for the first time.
“So this week, even though it’s a great event, it feels more like I’m just playing for the tournament. Obviously I don’t have a chance to win The Race to Dubai and win both money titles, so it definitely feels a little bit easier. ”
It’s a point echoed by McIlroy who also admits to a relaxed approach to the season’s finale.
“It is nice to have the pressure off knowing The Race to Dubai has been won – but the motivation is still there for me to win this tournament,” said McIlroy, who was teased at his post-round press conference by tennis star girlfriend Caroline Wozniaki.
“I really wanted to make that birdie on 18 and play in the last group with Luke as it’s always a buzz and a bit of a thrill playing in the last group, especially when you’re one and two in the world. But if I play well again tomorrow, hopefully we can get a chance to do it at the weekend. My main focus is to emulate Lee (Westwood) and lift both trophies on Sunday.”
Today’s (Friday) second round – reduced to 56 players following the withdrawal of Shane Lowry through illness – will see play start at 08.05am with the final two pairings of McIlroy and Fernandez-Castano teeing off at 12.35pm and Warren and Donald at 12.45pm.
Ranked 55th in The Race to Dubai, Warren has won just two European Tour titles in his career and is relishing his first visit to Jumeirah Golf Estates where a victory would be the biggest win of the 31 year-old Scotsman’s life.
“I’ve watched the tournament on TV so it is great to be here for the first time,” said Warren. “The course is spectacular – luckily for me the conditions were perfect with no wind and greens that were soft thanks to the rain but still pure and fast.”
Also one shot adrift, Fernandez-Castano made all six of his birdies in an amazing back nine blitz. “The back nine had nothing to do with the front nine,” smiled the Spaniard. “I played very well on front nine, believe it or not, I just didn’t hole any putts. But I stayed patient, and all of the putts seemed to drop on the back nine so it was worth the wait.”
Caption: Luke Donald leads the DP World Championship by one shot at Jumeirah Golf Estates.
