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The opening round of the DP World Tour playoffs at the 2025 Abu Dhabi HSBC championship saw Tommy Fleetwood and Shane Lowry surge to the top of the leaderboard, carding matching 8-under 64s at Yas Links Abu Dhabi. The strong showing from the European duo, who clearly thrive in each other’s company, sets the stage for a compelling weekend of golf.
A Familiar Pairing Yields Remarkable Results
There’s a clear synergy between fleetwood and Lowry, a connection evident after they played together through 36 holes at the recent India Championship. Continuing that momentum, the pair once again showcased their skill alongside one another on Thursday. “Something about me and Tommy,” Lowry remarked, acknowledging the positive dynamic. “I just like playing with him, your friend and really good player, too, and you kind of feed off each other. It was nice.”
Fleetwood attributed his success to a strong performance off the tee and confident decision-making. “Was very, very good off the tee, and I think I made some good decisions off the tee,” he stated. He also highlighted a crucial par save on the 12th hole as a turning point in his round. The 34-year-old is enjoying a stellar season on the greens, converting five putts from outside of eight feet, including a 23-foot birdie on the 13th.
Lowry’s front nine was notably impressive, with all four of his birdies coming from within three feet.However, a three-putt on the 12th proved to be his only blemish of the day. Despite this, he finished strong, matching Fleetwood’s score and securing a share of the lead.
A Competitive Field Chases the Leaders
Fleetwood, the recent FedEx Cup winner, and lowry weren’t the only players to post impressive scores. Richard Sterne,Adrien saddier,and Kazuma Kobori also reached 8-under,joining the leaders in a tightly packed field. Just one stroke behind are Alex Noren of Sweden and American Michael Kim,while Englishmen Tyrrell hatton and Aaron Rai are within striking distance at 6-under.
McIlroy in pursuit,Penge Makes a Statement
While Fleetwood and Lowry set the pace,Rory McIlroy,currently leading the Race to Dubai standings,remains firmly in contention. Despite a precarious start that required a provisional tee shot on the first hole, McIlroy recovered to card a 4-under 68. “I felt like the driver was good,” McIlroy said. “Obviously, a new driver in the bag this week. Felt like that worked well.” He acknowledged the need to improve his putting to truly challenge for the lead.
Marco Penge, McIlroy’s closest competitor in the Race to Dubai, had a noteworthy day, even surpassing McIlroy’s score by one stroke.Penge’s round was a rollercoaster,beginning with a birdie,eagle,followed by two bogeys,and then another birdie. He ultimately finished with a 67, positioning himself well for the remainder of the tournament and potentially closing the gap on McIlroy before the DP World Tour Championship. “It was great,” Penge commented, “It was cool to play with like a Grand Slam winner and a legend of European golf.” He is tied on the leaderboard with fellow countryman Matt Fitzpatrick at 5-under.
