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Young Swedes get their blood pumping on a cold day as they battle for the lead at Emirates Golf Club
Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg tees off the 8th hole in the first round on day two of the Dubai Desert Classic. — Associated Press
When DP World Tour organizers sent Ludvig Aberg one of three elite invitations to the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, little did they know it would lead to one of the young Swede’s most sensational performances .
As a way of rewarding their generosity, the world’s top amateur golfer, Aberger, shared first-round honors with British veteran Ian Poulter in a golf masterclass in challenging conditions at the Emirates Golf Club .
The unlikely duo had a 7-under 72 after light rain and dim light on Friday brought the tournament to an early end.
Oberg reached the top of the world amateur golf rankings in April 2021, displaying golf maturity well beyond his years, scoring as many as eight miniatures despite starting the day with bogey. bird.
Meanwhile, Rory McIlroy, who started Thursday and defending world No. At par six.
However, the undeniable star of the day on the rain-battered Council pitch was Aberg
To get an idea of ​​just how good the Swede is, one need only look at co-leader Ian Poulter, who is more than twice his age, has nearly 20 years of experience and has 17 career victories to his name.
Aberg and Poulter may be opposites in golf, but the pair have a lot in common in the attitude and skill they bring to the Emirates Golf Club on Friday.
Despite not having the best start to the day and needing three putts, which could be as cold as the weather, to clear the first shot, Arberg immediately turned on the heater and made consecutive birdies. second and third.
Two more birdie putts on the 7th and 8th holes will ensure the talented Swede can turn the corner for a 4-under 32, the end of 2022 PGA Tour college points The number one player on the list.
Still, firing on all cylinders, he started the back nine with a confident birdie putt on the 10th, a feat he repeated on the 13th.
Proving that his irons were as hot as his putt, Arberg made an easy birdie off the 16th tee for his sixth shot of the round. Unwilling to let up, he had another birdie on the 16th thanks to a well-shot 16-foot putt that disappeared into the hole.
Still hungry for more birdies, Arberg came close on the final two holes of the day, but returned to the clubhouse as a very happy young man.
Although Arberg’s birdie attempts on the final holes failed, Patrick Reed’s eagle on the final hole jumped him into a tie for third.
“Obviously, I’m very happy with the way I’m playing,” he said. “I feel like last week didn’t really reflect all the hard work I put in this offseason. It’s getting rusty playing championship golf.
“So coming out this week and feeling like I was able to put everything together and have the right idea about game plan and pitch management, that’s definitely a plus.
“I’ve never seen this place before, and being here for the first time, I knew and sort of realized it was more of a set golf course than just hitting anywhere, and I felt like I was in full control of the golf ball and put in A couple of putts,” Reed said.
He also had kind words for the ground crew who worked tirelessly to get the rain-battered course ready for games.
“They did an incredible job,” he said. “We’re in the desert, we’re not expecting rain, it’s been raining so much, and it’s been fantastic for them to have the golf course not only playable but in really good shape.
“It shows how good their craft is.”
Reed himself proved just how good his craft is with a sensational 18-hole eagle.
“The greens are more receptive,” he commented. “They roll really well, and you know, the premium is just putting the ball in the fairway. Put the ball in the fairway and you’ll always have a clean lie and a good look.
But if you start using it offline, you’re going to start having trouble here. “
While the game lost six hours on Thursday’s first day to unseasonable rain, the resumption of the first round was delayed by another two hours Friday morning as ground crews prepared the course with hammers and pliers Race ready.
They did.
Score (after first round)
65: Ludwig Arberg (AM) Sweden; Ian Poulter ENG -7
66: Angel Hidalgo ESP; Luis de Jager RSA; Rory McIlroy NIR; Patrick Reed USA
66: Richard Brand English;
67: Victor Perez FROM; Thomas Peters BEL; Adri Arnau ESP; Oliver Becker RSA;
68: Hennie Du Plessis RSA; Matthew Jordan English; Oliver Wilson English; Daniel Gavin The Engineer; Tommy Fleetwood English; Matt Wallace ENG 68 68; Conor Syme SCO; Wang Zhengxun KOR
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