Frustrating finishes for Bob MacIntyre and Grant Forrest in Dubai

Bob MacIntyre and Grant Forrest both saw the shine taken off their day’s work by frustrating finishes as Dane Joachim B Hansen produced a sizzling start on the Fire Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates in the AVIV Dubai Championship.

Bob MacIntyre lines up a putt during the first round of the AVIV Dubai Championship on the Fire Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates. Picture: Oisin Keniry/Getty Images.

As Hansen carded a brilliant nine-under 63 to open up a two-shot lead, MacIntyre and Forrest both signed off with bogeys as they had to settle for scores of 68 and 69 respectively in the penultimate event of the European Tour season.

Playing the course the normal way, Scottish No 1 MacIntyre made five birdies in nine holes in the middle of his round before finishing with a bogey-6, leaving him in a tie for 26th spot.

Forrest, who finished with a 63 on the same course in the corresponding event last season, started with a five-birdie salvo on this occasion but was disappointed with his closing bogey at the par-4 ninth.

Grant Forrest in action during the first round of the AVIV Dubai Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates. Picture: Oisin Keniry/Getty Images.

“It’s never nice to bogey the last as apart from that, and also taking a drop from a bush at the first or my 10th, it was a pretty decent round,” said the 28-year-old, who landed his breakthrough win on the circuit in the Hero Open at Fairmont St Andrews in August.

“I was pretty solid off the tee and it’s a course where you can go low, as I managed in the last round a year ago, so I’m hoping to do that tomorrow.”

Like MacIntyre, Scott Jamieson dropped his only shot of the day at the 18th, with the Florida-based player matching Forrest’s opening effort thanks to an effort that also contained four birdies.

In his 600th European Tour event, Stephen Gallaher opened with a 70, as did David Law after the Aberdonian showed how to play the 18th by making a 4.

Stephen Gallacher gets his 600th start on the European Tour underway in the AVIV Dubai Championship. Picture: Oisin Keniry/Getty Images.

“It’s always nice to end your round with a birdie, but it’s been a bit of a struggle this week as I have been hitting it all that well, though I kind of found something out there,” said Law.

“Given the nature of this course, you can get away with it a little bit and while I didn’t hole a lot of putts, I felt I putted well. I just need to iron out my long game.”

On a day when Richie Ramsay and David Drysdale also broke par with matching 71s, Hansen illuminated his round with a burst of five birdies in six holes from the fourth before adding four gains on the back nine.

“I had some good practice days with my coach here the last few days, my game yesterday looked solid, good warm up on the range today and had confidence going out there and it showed itself out there,” said the 2020 Joburg Open winner.

“I loved it, no wind, perfect conditions and lovely to play in. I kept the ball in play, hit a lot of fairways in the first 14 holes and I holed the putts I needed. missed a few ones, but you can’t hole them all.”

English duo Andy Sullivan and Paul Waring lead the chase along with South African Dean Burmester and Frenchman Anotine Rozner, the defending champion, with Tommy Fleetwood in a group on 66.

Paul Casey, the Dubai Desert Classic winner back in January, opened with a 68 along with Padraig Harrington.

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