Adam Scott has opened up his 2024 marketing campaign with a spherical of sometimes enduring high quality within the Dubai Desert Basic – however the evergreen Australian star may even have been joint-leader after the primary 18 holes with a bit of extra luck.
Scott, now 43 however nonetheless that includes on the planet’s high 50, opened up with a three-under-par 69 at Emirates Golf Course on Thursday, only a couple off the lead which was being shared by China’s Li Haotong, England’s Andy Sullivan, Dane Rasmus Hojgaard and American Cameron Younger.
But the previous Grasp may even have ended alongside the 4 pacesetters if his sensible method from the tough on the par-four twelfth had discovered the opening for an eagle two, as a substitute of ricocheting off the pin and settling some eight ft away, from the place he missed his birdie putt.
“I completed final 12 months enjoying effectively and I be ok with my sport, however it might be good to get off to a superb begin … I am taking pictures for giant issues nonetheless,” Scott had mused on the eve of the match – and he obtained his want with a spherical that includes 4 birdies and only one early blemish, a bogey 5 on the second gap.
Now in his twenty fifth season as knowledgeable, Scott smiled that he was used to discovering his means round a troublesome course, and confirmed why as he joined a log-jam of 21 high quality gamers all inside two photographs of the lead.
Event favorite Rory McIlroy, although, slipped up, bogeying three of his final 4 holes to finish up with a 71 after he’d appeared set to paved the way whereas British Open champ Brian Harman completed bogey-par-double bogey to shut on the identical rating.
Nonetheless, they have been solely 4 photographs off the summit of one of many European tour’s greatest occasions when play was suspended as a result of it was too darkish.
Younger had a spectacular finish to his spherical, birdieing the sixteenth and seventeenth earlier than rolling in a 60-foot eagle putt from off the inexperienced on the par-five 18th.
McIlroy, a three-time winner, is coming off a second place eventually week’s Dubai Invitational behind Tommy Fleetwood, and can have been annoyed by his poor ending after he birdied 5 of his first 11 holes.
Final week’s winner Fleetwood was alongside Scott on 69, however there was disappointment for the opposite Australian entrant, Jason Scrivener, who may solely open with a two-over 74.
