Mexican Carlos Ortiz produced a late surge to grab a share of the lead with Elvis Smylie and Ryan Fox after a six-under-par 65 in Thursday’s opening round of the Australian Open, while Rory McIlroy struggled in blustery conditions at Royal Melbourne, finishing with a one-over 72.
Smylie, 23, son of former Australian tennis player Elizabeth Smylie, delighted home fans with seven birdies against a lone bogey. New Zealand’s Fox matched the leading score with eight birdies and two bogeys.
“The winds are a big factor today,” Smylie said.
“I felt like I did a good job at using my creativity and my imagination with flighting a lot of really nice shots and then always making sure I’m leaving it on the right side of the hole.
“I embrace days like today. I think I belong and I know that and I believe that, so I’m just happy that I’m able to showcase that on a stage like this one.”
Denmark’s Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen carded a four-under 67 to sit two strokes back alongside France’s Clement Charmasson and Scotland’s Cameron Adam.
McIlroy, a five-times major winner and 2013 Stonehaven Cup champion at Royal Sydney, managed five birdies but was undone by six bogeys in his first return to Royal Melbourne since 1991, disappointing the large crowds who came to see him.
“It was a wonderful atmosphere ... really cool to see how many people were lining the fairways and framing the greens,” McIlroy said, noting how tricky the conditions were.
“The greens are getting firm. It was a good thing they didn’t cut them today, it would’ve been unplayable ... (I) felt like I could have shot under par or shot something in the 60s, but it doesn’t look like anyone’s going to get too far away today.
“So I limited the damage and hopefully conditions are a little better over the next few days.”
The 36-year-old Northern Irishman admitted his putting let him down after faltering with bogeys in the first, fourth, seventh, 11th, 12th and 16th holes.
“I need to putt better,” said McIlroy, who blew hot and cold throughout the day.
“Holed some good ones. I think I was better from outside 25 feet than I was from inside five, so work on that a little bit. I made enough birdies, but I just need to limit the mistakes a little bit.
“It was good to get one round done and not feel like I’m too far back.”
Australian PGA Championship winner David Puig failed to carry momentum from his triumph last week, carding a three-over 74 to sit well down the leaderboard in joint 105th place.
Australian Cam Smith, the 2022 Open champion, finished joint 26th with a 70.
This year’s Australian Open, co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour, has reverted to a traditional format after Golf Australia scrapped the groundbreaking mixed men’s, women’s and all-abilities competition introduced in 2022.
Ortiz blitzes late to join three‑way lead at Australian Open, McIlroy falters
https://arab.news/96rua
Ortiz blitzes late to join three‑way lead at Australian Open, McIlroy falters
- Smylie, 23, son of former Australian tennis player Elizabeth Smylie, delighted home fans with seven birdies against a lone bogey
Dakar Rally Saudi Arabia 2026 countdown begins ahead of Jan. 3 start
- * Redesigned course introduces fresh challenges that will raise the intensity of competition
- * Event highlights Kingdom’s aims of becoming a global leader in motorsport, says Prince Khalid bin Sultan Al-Abdullah Al-Faisal, SAMF chairman
JEDDAH: The countdown for Dakar Rally Saudi Arabia 2026, one of the world’s toughest rally events, has begun with less than a month remaining before the seventh consecutive edition hosted in the Kingdom gets underway.
The rally will take place from Jan. 3-17 under the supervision of the Ministry of Sport. It will be organized by the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation and promoted by the Saudi Motorsport Company.
Global attention will be focused on the rally as competitors prepare for a gruelling test across Saudi Arabia’s vast and varied terrain.
The upcoming edition is set to be one of the most distinctive yet, featuring a new route that will give competitors the chance to experience the Kingdom’s natural beauty, varied landscapes and historic sites.
The redesigned course introduces fresh challenges that will raise the intensity of competition, adding excitement throughout every stage.
Prince Khalid bin Sultan Al-Abdullah Al-Faisal, chairman of the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation and the Saudi Motorsport Company, said: “The Dakar Rally is more than just a race; it is part of the Kingdom’s ambitious journey toward becoming a global leader in motorsport.”
This year’s rally marked a pivotal moment for Saudi motorsport when Yazeed Al-Rajhi became the first Saudi driver to claim the title in the cars category.
“It’s a milestone we are all proud of and hope to see repeated next year,” Prince Khalid said.
The SAMF chairman added: “What makes us especially proud this year is the rising number of Saudi drivers taking part, a clear indication of the success of our talent-development initiatives and next-generation programs. These achievements are the result of national efforts we all take pride in.”
Dakar Saudi Arabia 2026 will welcome 812 competitors representing 69 countries, competing with 433 vehicles across eight categories: Ultimate B, Ultimate, Stock, Challenger, Side-by-Side, Trucks, in addition to motorbikes and quad bikes. The rally will cover a total distance of 7,999 km, including 4,845 km of timed special stages.
Competition begins on Jan. 3, with a 23 km prologue stage in Yanbu, followed by stage 1 on Jan. 4 over 305 km starting and finishing in Yanbu.
Stage 2 will take place on Jan. 5 from Yanbu to AlUla (400 km), with stage 3 held in AlUla on Jan. 6 (422 km). Stage 4 follows on Jan. 7 from AlUla to the Marathon Camp (451 km).
Stage 5 runs on Jan. 8 from the Marathon Camp to Hail (372 km), and stage 6 on Jan. 9 from Hail to Riyadh (336 km).
Jan. 10 will be a rest day for the competitors in Riyadh.
Action continues Jan. 11 with stage 7 from Riyadh to Wadi Al-Dawasir (462 km), followed by stage 8 on Jan. 12 in Wadi Al-Dawasir (481 km). Stage 9 will run on Jan. 13 January toward the Marathon Camp (410 km). The rally moves on to stage 10 on Jan. 14 from the Marathon Camp to Bisha (421 km), then stage 11 on Jan. 15 from Bisha to Al-Hanakiyah (347 km).
Stage 12 follows on Jan. 16 January from Al-Hanakiyah to Yanbu (310 km), before the event concludes with the 13th and final stage in Yanbu on Jan. 17, covering 105 km.
All distances listed refer to timed special stages.
