Hisatsune sets pace at RAK C’ship
Ras al khaimah: Ryo Hisatsune began the week with six successive birdies as he posted a stunning 64 to lead by two shots ater the first round of the 2023 Ras Al Khaimah Championship. The DP World Tour Qualifying School graduate made the most of favourable scoring conditions at Al Hamra Golf Club on Thursday, firing nine birdies before dropping his only shot of the day at the 18th ater an errant tee-shot to finish on eight under par.
The Japanese 20-year-old got his early birdie run started with a tap-in at the first before holing from 17 feet for another on the second. He then took advantage of the long third for a hat-trick of birdies and sent his tee-shot at the par-three fourth to eight feet before holing the put.
He then holed a five-footer at the fith before making it six in a row on the sixth, with further birdies coming on the eighth, 10th and 15th, before his sole dropped shot on the last.
“It was so unreal,” said Hisatsune. “I was just hiting shots, holing puts. Every time I made it. It was so amazing. It’s the first time I’ve had six birdies in a row. It’s my first event of the year and I was a litle nervous at the start, but it was an easy start. So lucky.
“(Ater that start) I thought keep going. On the back nine there are some tough holes. I had to keep making shots, making pars. On the last hole I was so nervous, but it was just a bogey so OK for me.”
Hisatsune, who finished in a tie for second at the Fortinet Australian PGA Championship back in November, is two shots ahead of Dane Rasmus Højgaard, Italian Edoardo Molinari and England’s Mathew Baldwin.
“Today I made some puts for a change,” said Molinari.
“I feel like I’ve been playing well the last couple of weeks, especially last week I hit the ball well but just couldn’t read the greens. This week so far it seems beter.
“It’s more challenging than last year. There is more rough, they have narrowed down some of the fairways. There is one new tee on 13, which makes a huge difference for a guy like me. Last year I couldn’t reach the greens. Up against Nicolai (Hojgaard) and Ryan (Fox) you feel like you are almost starting half a shot behind every day, so it does make a difference. I’m enjoying it.”
Ryan Fox, who tasted success in Ras Al Khaimah last year, was another stroke further back on five under along with Callum Shinkwin, Alexander Björk, Kazuki Higa, Oliver Bekker and Oliver Hundeboll. The DP World Tour is the main men’s professional golf Tour of the European Tour group, with a global schedule featuring a minimum of 39 tournaments in 26 different countries across the 2023 season.
Formerly known as the European Tour, which was established in 1972, the 2023 DP World Tour schedule includes five Rolex Series events, along with four Major Championships, one World Golf Championship event, as well as tournaments staged around the world with a minimum prize of $2million for all events solely sanctioned by the DP World Tour.