Garcia's Winning March "6 Under Par Tied 3rd"... Stern Leads at 8 Under Par

Omega Dubai Desert Classic Day 1: Perfect 6 Birdies, 'Number 4' Morikawa at 1 Under, Hatton Struggles at 4 Over

Sergio Garcia is teeing off at the 7th hole on the first day of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic. Dubai (UAE) = Getty Images / Multibits

[Asia Economy Reporter Noh Woo-rae] Sergio Garcia (Spain) is on a winning streak.

On the 29th (Korean time) at the Emirates Golf Club in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (par 72, 7,364 yards), the first day of the European Tour Omega Dubai Desert Classic (total prize money $3.25 million) saw Garcia shoot 6 under par, placing him tied for 3rd with Justin Harding (South Africa). Richard Sterne (South Africa) leads with 8 under par 64, followed by Kurt Kitayama (USA) in 2nd place with 7 under par 65. This is the second event of the 2021 season following last week's 'Rolex Series Round 1' Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.

Garcia showcased perfect play with six birdies and no bogeys. Starting at the 10th hole (par 5), he made consecutive birdies on the 13th and 14th holes and another birdie on the 17th hole (par 4), reducing three strokes in the front nine. In the back nine, he added birdies on the 2nd and 3rd holes consecutively and another birdie on the 6th hole (par 4). His 'pinpoint iron shots' had a green hit rate of 88.9%, and his 'stingy putting' averaged 1.6 putts per hole. Notably, his scrambling rate to save par in critical situations was 100%.

He is two strokes behind the leader and is in a position to aim for his 17th European Tour win since his victory at the KLM Open in September 2019. Garcia first emerged as a rising star when he finished runner-up at the PGA Championship at the age of 19 in 1999. While competing on the European Tour, he also secured 10 wins on the PGA Tour. After enduring tough luck in majors, he finally claimed his first major championship at the 2017 Masters Tournament, known as the 'Tournament of Champions.'

It is interesting that he is a rival of 'Golf Emperor' Tiger Woods (USA). Although five years younger, Garcia is known for his provocative remarks and behavior towards Woods. He has been known as the 'field playboy,' having had relationships with Morgan Ray, daughter of 'Great White Shark' Greg Norman (Australia), tennis star Martina Hingis (Switzerland), and actress Jessica Alba (USA). In 2017, he married reporter Akins, who was working for the Golf Channel in the US, and they have two sons.

Sterne swept up nine birdies (one bogey) to dominate the top of the leaderboard. He is a strong South African player with six career wins. Paul Casey is tied for 5th place (5 under par 67), Tommy Fleetwood tied for 9th (4 under par 68), Lee Westwood (both England) tied for 17th (3 under par 69), and 'Number 4' Collin Morikawa (USA) is tied for 37th (1 under par 71). Tyrell Hatton (England), the 'Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship champion,' struggled, tied for 115th place (4 over par 76).

Tyrell Hatton is wiping sweat at the 15th hole on the first day of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic. Dubai (UAE) = Getty Images / Photo by Multibits

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.