Dubai-based Nicolas Colsaerts overcomes slow start to lead Hero Indian Open
The three-time DP World Tour winner, and Ambassador for the Brain & Performance Centre, a DP World Company, set the pace early on Thursday with a round of 68 despite bogeying two of his first three holes at DLF Golf and Country Club in Delhi.
The 42-year-old Belgian, who earned his 2025 DP World Tour card with a second-place finish at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship last season, is aiming to jumpstart his campaign in India this week.
Colsaerts notched his first birdie of the day at the fourth hole, followed by another at the sixth. Despite a bogey at the seventh, he rallied with back-to-back birdies at the eighth and ninth, turning at one under par.
He kept his momentum going with birdies at the tenth, fourteenth, and the par-five fifteenth, navigating the back nine without a single dropped shot to finish at four under par. Colsaerts set the early target on a challenging course, one of the toughest on the DP World Tour.
Challenging course
"It went great today," said Colsaerts after his round. "It's a difficult golf course, and anyone shooting under par today will be extremely happy. The rough is high, the greens are firmer, and it feels a bit like a mini-US Open. It's a tough course, but I really like the layout—especially the 18th and the visually striking 16th par-three."
Looking ahead, Colsaerts added, "I want to stay patient. Pars are good, and if you make a few birdies, it's great. Everyone will make bogeys, but I'll aim to keep the ball in play and stay in contention."
Kinhult impressed in his first round with early birdies at the first, second, and fourth holes. After a bogey at the seventh, he bounced back with a birdie at the par-five eighth and turned at three under par. The 2019 Betfred British Masters winner kept his scorecard clean on the way in, adding a birdie at the fifteenth to tie for the lead.
Armitage, riding the momentum of a strong start to the 2025 Race to Dubai, including a fifth-place finish at last week's Porsche Singapore Classic, was pleased with his performance on day one of the Hero Indian Open—the second event of the Asian Swing.
Thomas grinds
Dubai-born Rayhan Thomas, a 25-year-old Dubai Golden Visa Awardee and member of the PGA Tour's Korn Ferry Tour, posted a level-par 72 to tie for 30th place.
With just four shots separating him from the leaders, Thomas reflected, "Today was a bit of a grind. I didn't hit the ball well, but I put and chipped well to keep myself in a reasonable position. This course is one of the toughest in the world, so I'm proud of my positive mindset."
Thomas, who had family members watching from the gallery, added, "Let's hope I can play better and score lower in the second round."
Other notable players with Dubai and UAE connections included Aaron Cockerill (Canada), representing The Els Club, Dubai, as well as Dubai residents Julien Guerrier (France), Johannes Verman (US), Shiv Kapur (India), and Ewen Ferguson (Scotland), who all shot level-par 72.
First Round Scores
N. Colsaerts (BEL) 68
M. Kinhult (SWE) 68
M. Armitage (ENG) 68
J. Luiten (NED) 69
U. Coussard (FRA) 69
A. Sandhu (IND) 69
M. Jordan (ENG) 69
T. Clements (ENG) 69
R. Fisher (ENG) 69
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Dubai Eye
2 hours ago
- Dubai Eye
Raducanu back to her carefree best as she knocks out Vondrousova
When Emma Raducanu hurtled across the baseline to whip an eye-popping passing shot winner at Wimbledon on Wednesday, it signalled that she was once again capable of delivering the kind of potent shots that carried her to the 2021 US Open title. That sizzler, one of 18 winners Raducanu conjured up during her second-round 6-3 6-3 destruction of 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova, not only earned the British hope her first break of the match but it also had a hollering Centre Court crowd leaping to their feet. As fans and pundits hailed her electrifying performance, Raducanu admitted: "That was one of the best matches I've played in a long time. "There's no better feeling than winning here at Wimbledon, winning on Centre Court. It honestly makes everything worth it. You forget about everything, all the up and downs, mainly the downs, when you're out there and you win. I just want to savour that one and enjoy it (because) it was really special." Billed as a battle between two one-hit wonders, Raducanu and her Czech rival both had a point to prove when they walked on to Centre Court for the match. Their career paths have followed a similar roller-coaster of a trajectory -- while Raducanu became the first qualifier in the professional era to win a Grand Slam singles title when she triumphed at Flushing Meadows in 2021, Vondrousova became the first unseeded woman to win Wimbledon in 2023. RANKINGS FREEFALL Twelve months after experiencing the buzz of their incredible victories, both suffered humbling first-round exits when they turned up to defend their Grand Slam titles, with injuries contributing to their downfall. Cue a rankings freefall, with both plummeting outside the top 150 and, until 10 days ago, neither had won a title since their Grand Slam triumphs. While both were unseeded, Vondrousova would have fancied her chances of knocking out Britain's big hope. After all, the 26-year-old had arrived at the All England Club fresh from winning the grasscourt title in Berlin, with victories over Australian Open champion Madison Keys and world number one Aryna Sabalenka en route. However, it was 22-year-old Raducanu whose game sparkled on Centre Court as she produced the kind of carefree, yet formidable, shots that helped her to triumph at Flushing Meadows almost four years ago. "Today I played really, really well," summed up world number 40 Raducanu, whose reward for reaching the third round is a showdown with Sabalenka. "Playing Marketa, I knew it was going to be very challenging. She's won Wimbledon. She's in amazing form right now having won Berlin. I'm just very proud of how I went out there and competed and kept committing and came through that one." Her commitment to chase after everything, even when she seemed out of the running to win the point, paid off time and time again. The incredible backhand passing shot winner that she curled back into the court, despite almost running into the crowd, gave her the break for a 4-2 lead in the first set. Although a sloppy service game gave 73rd-ranked Vondrousova the break back in the next game, the British number one wasted little time in regaining the advantage for a 5-3 lead after a forehand error from the Czech. Moments later thundering roars from the Centre Court crowd could be heard around the All England Club, and beyond, as Vondrousova surrendered the set with yet another miscued forehand. Clearly unsettled, the errors started piling up for Vondrousova, who had previously admitted that she did not envy the "crazy pressure" Raducanu had to deal with day-in and day-out after becoming the first British woman to win a major in 44 years. Yet another forehand slapped long by Vondrousova handed Raducanu a break for 2-1 and from then on there was no stopping the Briton. She sealed a place in the third round after her opponent swiped a backhand wide. "She was playing amazing tennis. She was crushing me in the rallies, so there wasn't much I could do," said Vondrousova.
Al Etihad
2 days ago
- Al Etihad
UAE plays key role in global golf development
1 July 2025 14:20 ABU DHABI (WAM)The Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship has long been one of the most prestigious and recognisable events on the DP World Tour. For 18 consecutive years, it served as a popular early season stop, attracting some of the world's top players and shining a spotlight on the UAE as a world-class golfing statements to the Emirates News Agency (WAM), Tom Phillips, Director of the Middle East at DP World Tour, said, 'In close collaboration with the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, we made the strategic decision to move the Championship from its traditional January date to a new position in November. This shift reflects a shared vision to further elevate the tournament's impact and maximise its contribution to the growth of golf across the region.'He explained that recent changes to the global golf calendar presented a timely opportunity to reimagine the role of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.'By aligning it with the DP World Tour Championship, we created a season-ending fortnight of world-class golf in the UAE - a compelling narrative that enhances fan engagement, commercial value, and the region's global profile in a busy sporting landscape,' he repositioning, he said, also reinforces the UAE's role as a powerhouse in professional golf, with Abu Dhabi at the forefront of that growth. The new November date ensures the championship benefits from increased visibility, momentum, and integration within a broader festival of also revealed a long-term partnership with the Emirates Golf Federation, saying, "This partnership builds on a relationship with the region that stretches back to 1989, and reflects a shared commitment to both the grassroots and elite tiers of the partnership has already led to impactful initiatives, including the allocation of 30 player slots across two HotelPlanner Tour events, one in Abu Dhabi and one in Ajman, to provide competitive opportunities for emerging Emirati talent. Some spots have been exchanged with international federations, giving UAE players exposure to global tournaments and valuable experience. Phillips concluded by highlighting a milestone achievement by Ahmad Skaik, the UAE's top amateur, becaming the first UAE-born player to make the cut in a 72-hole professional event at this year's UAE Challenge at Al Zorah Golf & Yacht Club - a landmark moment and a testament to the progress being made.
Dubai Eye
3 days ago
- Dubai Eye
Medvedev, Tsitsipas make early exit from Wimbledon
Daniil Medvedev found the roasting conditions and a French opponent who had not won a match on grass for three years too hot to handle on Monday as the ninth seed suffered a 7-6(2) 3-6 7-6(3) 6-2 loss to Benjamin Bonzi in the Wimbledon first round. The Russian, who reached the semi-finals at the All England Club for the last two years, got all hot and bothered as Bonzi brought out what he described as his "A-game" to dispatch the 2021 US Open champion on Court Two. With Medvedev desperate to preserve his 100 per cent record of reaching at least the second round at Wimbledon, he took out his frustrations on his racket, smashing it to the ground after Bonzi had got the better of him yet again in the third set. But there was no respite for the former world number one. "I was surprised by his level... there was not much I could do better," Medvedev told reporters. "Every shot that I played today, even good shots, he had an answer. Today, he barely missed. When you're on fire, everything goes in. "Whatever I did on the court, it was not bothering him too much. Everything he did was tough for me to play. I fought. I tried." While spectators took shade under umbrellas, large-brimmed hats, newspapers and any other makeshift item they could grab to block out the burning sun, the only respite the players got was a 10-minute break at the end of the third set with Wimbledon's heat rule coming into force as the temperature soared above 32 degrees Celsius. That did little to revive Medvedev, however, as he immediately fell behind 2-0 to world number 64 Bonzi in the fourth set and it was a setback he could not recover from. When the Russian netted a backhand, it brought up a first match point for Bonzi, and the Frenchman was celebrating his first win over a top-10 player at a major seconds later, after Medvedev smacked a forehand long. "This is special for me today. This is my first top 10 win at a slam. I love this place," a beaming Bonzi told the crowd. After shaking hands with his conqueror, Medvedev's anger boiled over again and he gave his rackets another brutal battering -- this time against his courtside chair and bag. It has been a testing time at the slams for Medvedev this year, as he followed up a second round exit in Melbourne with first round defeats at Roland Garros and Wimbledon. The early departure from Wimbledon was particularly disappointing for Medvedev considering he had contested the Halle final just eight days ago. Meanwhile, Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas said he has no answers to his ongoing fitness problems after being forced to retire from his first-round match due to a back injury. Former world number three Tsitsipas, seeded 24th this year, was trailing 6-3 6-2 to French qualifier Valentin Royer when he decided enough was enough. The twice Grand Slam runner-up cut a disconsolate figure as he spoke to reporters. "I'm battling many wars these days. It's really painful to see myself in a situation like this," he said. "I feel like I'm left without answers. I don't know. I've tried everything. I've done an incredible job with my fitness. I've done an incredible job with my physiotherapy, so I've maximized on everything that I possibly can do. "Right now, I'm just absolutely left with no answers." Tsitsipas said he has been struggling with a lower back injury since withdrawing from the ATP Tour Finals in 2023 and despite winning the Dubai title this year, his fitness issues have coincided with a slide in the rankings. "It's probably the most difficult situation that I've ever been faced with, because it's an ongoing issue that doesn't seem to be disappearing or fading," he said. "I have a limit at some point, so I'll definitely have to have my final answer on whether I want to do stuff or not in the next couple of months. "Tennis is a rotational sport, and if you can't rotate, then there's no reason playing it." Tsitsipas has recently started working with Novak Djokovic's former coach Goran Ivanisevic. "He's great. We're having a great time. I am very disappointed that I wasn't able to show my potential the way I deserve to play on the court," Tsitsipas said.
