Ryder Cup reunion shaping up to be exciting desert battle in Dubai

Nicolai Hojgaard, who played on the winning team in Rome in 2023 but was replaced by his twin brother Rasmus for this year’s edition at Bethpage Black, leads at the halfway stage in the DP World Tour Championship as the Dane bids to land the Rolex Series title for the second time in three years.

On 12 under, Hojgaard holds a three-shot cushion in the Race to Dubai’s concluding event, but he’s got all nine players from Luke Donald’s triumphant team in New York competing here within seven shots of the lead and also one of the vice-captains.

Justin Rose, Shane Lowry and Rory McIlroy are all on nine under, one ahead of Bob MacIntyre, Alex Noren and Tommy Fleetwood, with Tyrrell Hatton and Ludvig Aberg both on seven under then Matt Fitzpatrick on six under and the aforementioned Rasmus Hojgaard on five under.

“Yeah, I was looking at the scoreboard out there at one stage and it was Tommy, Rosey and myself up there along with Nicolai and a couple of others,” observed a smiling Lowry after adding a 67 to his opening 68. “Rory is obviously there, Bob had a good score today and everyone is playing decently. I think it is nice for the tour and the tournament and I think it bodes well for the weekend, when it would be nice if we could battle it out over the final two rounds.”

Europe recorded a first win on US soil since 2012 and that, coupled with the announcement earlier this week of DP World extending its title backing of the DP World Tour by ten years, has certainly contributed to a party atmosphere at this week’s season finale.

“It’s the positivity it brings,” added Lowry, who clinched the vital half point in the singles to fend off a last-day fightback by the Americans in the 45th edition on Long Island. “Honestly, everywhere I’ve gone since the Ryder Cup has said it to me. It reaches a whole different level of audience that golf only reaches once every two years.

“Me and Ludvig had a great crowd yesterday morning in the first group. People probably came out to watch us just because of the Ryder Cup. It’s just great we are here and great we are all playing well.”

Lowry joined a long list of Irish players to become a Ryder Cup legend through key singles moments and is now experiencing what the likes of Eamonn Darcy, Christy O’Connor jnr, Philip Walton, Paul McGinley and Graeme McDowell all enjoyed before him around the world.

“I’m not going to say I’ll live off it for a long time,” said the 2019 Open champion, laughing, “but it is certainly something that I’ll be able to sitdown when I’m old and probably bald and be able to talk to my kids and hopefully my grandkids about.

“Honestly, I count myself very lucky to achieve what I did in September. It was a very good moment for me personally and obviously it was amazing for the team and I couldn’t have done it without my other 11 team-mates. But for me to experience that personally is something I’ll remember forever.”

In his first competitive outing since the Ryder Cup, Rose reckons his two opening efforts have been a mixed bag. “I've played amazing golf this week and there's other elements of my game where I do feel super rusty,” he admitted after signing for a bogey-free 67, which included two monster putts, in the second circuit.

The 45-year-old Englishman came close to winning The Masters in April, when he lost out to McIlroy in a play-off, before landing a 12th PGA Tour title in the FedEx St Jude Championship. The oldest man on either team, Rose then produced one of the best performances of the week at Bethpage Black alongside Fleetwood in the second-day fourballs.

“Yeah, that’s what I have been saying I am hanging around in the game for - the belief that I can still go on and win a major,” said the 2012 US Open champion. “Obviously I haven’t done that yet, but I think I have proved that I am probably playing well enough to do so. A bit of lady luck here and there and I could have had The Open (at Royal Troon in 2024, when he finished runner up to Xander Schauffele) and The Masters both come my way in the last couple of years.

“It’s one thing to say it; it’s another thing to do it and I think the last 18 months or so has given me the belief but when you know is different to believing and that is what then fuels the hard work that is required. Working hard in hope is a hard place to be. Working hard with the strong foundation of ‘I can do this’ is quite motivating.”

As Hojgaard moved to the top of the leaderboard on the back of a bogey-free 65 that was ignited by a birdie-eagle start, MacIntyre and McIlroy both struggled to hit fairways. “Aye, I drove it terribly,” reported the Scot after signing for a 67. “I thought I’d warmed up great, but I was just overdrawing it - I don’t know what was going on. But I managed it well again. When I was out of position, I got it back in play and wedged it absolutely beautifully today, which is massive.”

McIlroy, who remains in a strong position in his bid to land a seventh Race to Dubai title despite Hatton, one of only two players who can jump above him on Sunday night, hauling himself up the leaderboard, said he’d had to “battle” for his 69. “I’m pretty pleased considering some of the spots that I found myself,” said the world No 2.

After being close to the lead after a hot start, Grant Forrest sits seven off the pace alongside Ewen Ferguson on five under, with Calum Hill and Connor Syme on two under and one under respectively.