HERO DUBAI DESERT CLASSIC

January 24, 2026

Francesco Molinari

Majlis Course at Emirates Golf Club

Press Conference

Q. Give us an assessment of your day.

FRANCESCO MOLINARI: Obviously great start. Yeah, played solid most of the day, just the putter went cold on the back. I really lost momentum on 12, 13. Yeah, probably that putt on 12 and that second shot on 13, you know, turned the day around a little bit. But yeah, very solid the way I'm playing. I'm having fun out on the course. Couldn't ask for much more.

Q. How nice is it to be in contention after the things you've been through the last few years? How nice is it to be up there?

FRANCESCO MOLINARI: It is, it's great fun to play good golf. Especially around here, even when I was playing my best, I never really played that well (here). So maybe it's a good sign that's my first really good week here at the Emirates. Like I said, I'm having lots of fun. The course setup is great. The ground crew has done an amazing job making it testing but fair.

So I can't wait for tomorrow.

Q. You mentioned earlier about losing momentum around 12 and 13. Was that a mental thing, physical thing, the conditions or a combination?

FRANCESCO MOLINARI: No, I think just a poor read on 12 because I hit a good putt but didn't give it enough break. And then one, I would say, poor swing but not great swing on 13, missing on the left side. And then not a great putt for birdie. Missing that from six feet downhill for par on these greens, that's not something you want to do.