Italy’s Francesco Molinari topped the leaderboard after the opening round of the 37th Hero Dubai Desert Classic, which got under way on Thursday as one of the region’s most prestigious golf tournaments and a Rolex Series event on the DP World Tour’s Race to Dubai, offering a total prize purse of $9 million.

The 43-year-old carded a seven-under-par 65, boosting his bid for a first DP World Tour title since winning the Open Championship in 2018. Molinari, a six-time tour winner, said he enjoyed a “good start” despite not feeling fully prepared last week.

Defending champion Tyrrell Hatton of England opened with a two-under-par 70, remaining in contention, while four-time champion Rory McIlroy of Ireland posted a one-over-par 73, the same score as England’s Tommy Fleetwood.

Spain’s Manuel Elvira, fresh from his Dubai Invitational victory last week, continued his strong form with a three-under-par 69. Adrián Otaegui finished level par with a 72, while Ahmed Skaik, captain of the UAE national team, carded a six-over-par 78 on his professional debut in the tournament.