Overview
- Michael Kim set the first-round target with a bogey-free 8-under 64 on the Earth Course, one shot ahead of Tommy Fleetwood’s 65.
- Rory McIlroy carded seven birdies in a 6-under 66 to sit tied for third, two shots off the lead at Jumeirah Golf Estates.
- McIlroy arrived with roughly a 767-point Race to Dubai advantage; with 2,000 points available this week, a solo-second finish would clinch the season crown.
- Challenger Marco Penge, who had dealt with sickness earlier in the week, opened with a 74 and now needs a win or shared second plus a low McIlroy finish to have a chance.
- Tyrrell Hatton began with a 70 and still must win the event and see McIlroy finish outside the top positions; McIlroy also called a potential knighthood “an unbelievably massive honour.”