December 02-05
Fire Course, Jumeirah Golf Estates, Dubai
€1,200,000
Round 2, Round 3, Round 4

Andy Sullivan shot a stunning 11 under par round of 61 to set a new Fire Course record at Jumeirah Golf Estates and take a two shot lead into round two of the inaugural Golf in Dubai Championship presented by DP World.

"It's funny, I played the front nine yesterday and I played the back nine a year ago when we came over to warm up, you do all this prep on these courses and try and work out where to hit it. This week I turned up and clattered it down and found myself being ridiculous under par through seven or eight holes on my front nine. You think ‘here we go'.

"I changed my putting routine with Mike yesterday and it's helped me trust my instincts more instead of second guessing myself which really helped. The putter was extremely hot today.

"Covid really changed everything for me. I refocused and started enjoying it again. I've started to play a lot better. Going out there and enjoying it I know I'm giving myself the best chance to shoot a low score. Coming back to Jumeirah, I've always played pretty tidy here on the other course. It's nice to get off to a flier on this one."

The Englishman recorded 11 birdies and flirted with just the second 59 in European Tour history, after Oli Fisher at the 2018 Portugal Masters, before parring his last two holes in a brilliant bogey free opening round. 

Sullivan also set the course record en route to his fourth European Tour title at the 2020 English Championship in August and he now tops a tightly packed leaderboard, with fellow countrymen Matt Wallace and Ross Fisher and Frenchman Antoine Rozner his closest challengers on nine under par.

"It's been consistency in how I've been working, rather than consistency in playing," said Wallace. "My preparation has been the same for a long time now. As you know I prepare really well, as well as I possibly can to be ready to shoot those scores. That's something that's a given for my preparation for the week.

"The par threes are 230 yards plus, and we had a 240 yard par three into the wind and they can make it longer, but when the weather is like this without a cloud in the sky, and it got hot towards the end so the ball is going a long way, and the greens are perfect. So it's scoreable, but still not easy. Sully obviously played fantastic and when he gets going, his putter is hot, he drives it great, there are scores out there."

Scottish duo Craig Howie and Marc Warren and Swede Oscar Lengden are in a tie for fifth at eight under par, with Italian pair Lorenzo Scalise and Francesco Laporta, Sweden's Rikard Karlberg and Spaniard Pep Angles one shot further back.

Wednesday marked the 49th United Arab Emirates National Day, and Emirati invitational golfer Ahmed Skaik hit the opening tee shot to start the new event as the Fire Course made its European Tour debut.