Francesco Laporta delivered the round of his DP World Tour career on 6 November 2026, carding a flawless 10-under 62 at Yas Links, Abu Dhabi to claim a three-shot lead after Round 1 of the Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship. The Italian, ranked 57th in the Race to Dubai standings, matched the lowest score of his professional career on a day also defined by a costly two-stroke penalty for Rory McIlroy.

Laporta's Brilliant Round

The 36-year-old from Italy was relentless from the opening holes, taking advantage of the par-five second before draining a 30-foot putt on the fifth for birdie. He rolled in his eagle putt from ten feet at the par-five seventh and turned in 30 strokes after picking up back-to-back gains. The back nine was equally clinical — a birdie at the par-five 11th, a precise approach to 12 feet on the 14th, and a 40-foot conversion on the 16th sealed a bogey-free effort featuring an eagle and eight birdies. At the close, Laporta stood three shots clear of the chasing pack.

Who Is Chasing Laporta

Former World Number One Jon Rahm of Spain, playing the event for the first time, sits in a share of second at 7-under alongside Englishman Sam Bairstow — who was the last man into the field yet was the first out on the course — and Austria's Bernd Wiesberger. Bairstow made the most of his late invitation with seven birdies and no dropped shots. Wiesberger, currently tracking dual membership with the PGA Tour, added eight birdies against a single bogey. England's Matthew Jordan and Poland's Adrian Meronk sit a shot further back, alongside defending champion Aaron Rai, Tyrrell Hatton, Japan's Yuto Katsuragawa, China's Wenyi Ding, South Africa's Shaun Norris, and Norway's Kristoffer Reitan.

McIlroy's Penalty Explained

Rory McIlroy, who entered the week third in the Race to Dubai rankings and chasing a record eighth title, carded a 70 to sit tied-33rd — eight shots adrift of Laporta. His round was derailed by a two-stroke penalty on the 12th hole under Rule 8.1b(4), which governs how a player may ground their club before a stroke. The ruling arose from his second chip shot from the rough; the rule permits a player to ground the club lightly but prohibits pressing it into the ground. Having reviewed the footage, McIlroy said he could not confirm whether he had pressed the club, but — unwilling to proceed under any doubt — he voluntarily applied the two-stroke sanction. The penalty dropped him from what would have been a competitive start into the bottom third of the leaderboard.

Race to Dubai Standings After Round 1

The Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship is the first of the Play-Off events, with the top 70 available players from the Race to Dubai Rankings competing this week. The top 50 will advance to the season-ending DP World Tour Championship. Race to Dubai leader Eugenio Chacarra carded a 70 to reach 2-under, while second-placed Patrick Reed struggled to a two-over 74. With Laporta currently ranked 57th, a strong finish this week would secure his place at the Dubai finale. Three more rounds remain, and the Race to Dubai title race remains wide open.