The DP World Tour Qualifying School graduate made the most of favourable scoring conditions at Al Hamra Golf Club on Thursday, firing nine birdies before dropping his only shot of the day at the 18th after an errant tee-shot.

The 20-year-old Japanese leads the way on eight-under, two shots ahead of Dane Rasmus Højgaard, Italian Edoardo Molinari and England’s Matthew Baldwin.

Ryan Fox was another stroke further back on five-under along with Callum Shinkwin, Alexander Björk, Kazuki Higa, Oliver Bekker and Oliver Hundebøll.

“It was so unreal,” Hisatsune said. “I was just hitting shots, holing putts. Every time I made it. It was so amazing.

“It’s the first time I’ve had six birdies in a row.

“It’s my first event of the year and I was a little nervous at the start. I had to keep making shots, making pars. On the last hole I was so nervous, but it was just a bogey so OK for me.”

The post Ryo Hisatsune leads by two in RAK after early birdie blitz appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

The new year is always a highly anticipated time for golf fans in the Middle East as it signals the busiest time on the calendar when the four-week DP World Tour UAE Swing comes to town. 

Such is the way of things these days, the players get little in the way of rest following the end of the preceding campaign, before the new season opens its doors (the 2023 campaign officially began on November 24, four days after the 2022 season-ending DP World Tour Championship).

There are actually six ‘2023’ events in South Africa, Australia and Mauritius before the bells ring on December 31, but the UAE Swing is the real sign to get the season rolling. 

The 2023 extravaganza is certainly not to be missed as some of the best players in the world grace the courses of Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah.

With the big names already in town for the Hero Cup, where the top 10 players from Great Britain & Ireland face off against Continental Europe’s finest on Abu Dhabi Golf Club’s National Course in a Ryder Cup warm-up, fans will be in for a treat across the UAE.

First up is the return to Yas Links, Abu Dhabi, and the first Rolex Series event of the year. 

Not only will there be $9 million on the table from January 19-22 on Yas Island at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, there will also be 5,000 Ryder Cup points up for grabs as those hoping to make Luke Donald’s team at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club in Rome come September look to make an early move into contention. 

Thomas Pieters’ final-round 72 and 10-under-par 278 was just enough to claim the trophy back in January, the Belgian just managing to hold off the surge from local hero Rafa Cabrera-Bello and India’s finest Shubhankar Sharma.

Viktor Hovland was two shots shy, but his time to shine was just around the corner 

“Winning a Rolex Series event is as good as it gets in Europe,” said Pieters as he cradled the Falcon Trophy in his arms. 

He will be looking for another strong start to the year, with Luke Donald certain to be taking notes.

Another one to watch will be the winner of the Abu Dhabi Amateur Championship, which takes place from December 13-15. Victory in that tournament books a ticket to Yas Links, and the victor will have a lot to live up to following Josh Hill’s break-out season in 2022, where he made the cut in both the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship (58th) and then the Dubai Desert Classic (55th).

Following the celebrations on Sunday, the cream of European golf will make the short trip along Sheikh Zayed Road to the Emirates Golf Club for the Dubai Desert Classic, where another $9 million and 5,000 Ryder Cup points will be available.

Coming off one of his best-ever seasons without lifting a major in 2022, reinstalled world No. 1 Rory McIlroy will be chasing a hat-trick over the famous Majlis course from January 26-29.

The Northern Irishman triumphed in this event in 2009 and 2015, and blew a great chance for the triple crown last year, where he found the water on 18 to miss out on at least a playoff with Viktor Hovland and Richard Bland.

Left: Viktor Hovland was the eventual winner of 2022’s Dubai Desert Classic. Right: Nicolai Højgaard won the inaugural Ras Al Khaimah Championship. Photos by Getty Images

It was the Norwegian who took the glory and announce his arrival at golf’s top table with a thrilling playoff win over the English veteran Bland as dusk fell across EGC.

McIlroy himself, though, knows he has unfinished business in Dubai.

The 33-year-old said: “I always look forward to playing the Dubai Desert Classic, having won the tournament twice in my career, and the Majlis is a golf course that I love to play.

“Lifting the Dallah trophy for a third time is something I would love to achieve.”

Following the conclusion of the back-to-back Rolex Series events, the action rolls on up to Ras Al Khaimah, where the RAK Championship returns from February 2-5. Nicolai Højgaard took top spot at Al Hamra in 2022, and both he and his twin brother Rasmus will be back vying for those valuable Ryder Cup points this time around. 

So, strap in for four weeks of non-stop action right across the UAE.

The post Swing away: The new year signals the start of four weeks of top golfing entertainment in the UAE appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Al Hamra Golf Club’s promotion from a former Challenge Tour site to fully-fledged main circuit venue was confirmed in October with the announcement of the Feb. 3-6 Ras Al Khaimah Championship presented by Phoenix Capital. 

Then, as late as Jan. 18, the DP World Tour announced another $2 million event, the Ras Al Khaimah Classic, would be played at Al Hamra from Feb. 10-13. It is an 11th hour replacement for the 25th Commercial Bank Qatar Masters which has reportedly been postponed until “later this spring” as a result of “ongoing restrictions associated with the global Covid-19 pandemic.”

Set to follow the week after the 33rd Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic, the RAK Championship critically goes head-to-head with the now Asian Tour-sanctioned and $5 million Saudi International. While no marquee players had been announced at the time of press, the DP World Tour can’t hope to match Golf Saudi’s star pulling power but the RAK events are nonetheless important as the circuit continually pivots to ensure its membership playing opportunities.

Al Hamra previously hosted the European Challenge Tour over three consecutive years from 2016–2018. It was initially the venue for the RAK Golf Challenge in 2016 and 2017, before hosting the RAK Challenge Tour Grand Final as the final stop on the Road to Ras Al Khaimah in 2018.

The post Seeing Double: The Desert Swing has a new venue. Twice over. appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.