Michael Kim produced a brilliant burst of scoring on the back nine to lead by one shot after the first round of the 2025 DP World Tour Championship, as Rory McIlroy edged closer to a seventh Race to Dubai title.

Here’s the prize money breakdown for each golfer at the 2025 DP World Tour Championship

Kim – the FedEx Open de France champion – made three birdies on the front nine on the Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates, before putting his foot to the floor after the turn, firing five birdies in six holes from the tenth to set the early clubhouse target at eight under par.

Making his first appearance at the season-ending event, Kim’s iron play was particularly impressive on Thursday as he got inside ten feet on 11 holes to give himself plenty of birdie chances.

None of the later starters were able to match or beat the American’s 64, with Dubai resident Tommy Fleetwood his nearest challenger on seven under.

Fleetwood posted a sparkling 65 to maintain the remarkable recent form that has seen him win his first PGA TOUR title to capture the FedExCup, play a key role in Europe’s historic away Ryder Cup victory at Bethpage Black win the DP World India Championship in the past three months.

The Englishman also went close at last week’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship but lost out to Aaron Rai in a tense play-off on Sunday.

Race to Dubai Rankings leader McIlroy sits in a tie for third one shot behind Fleetwood alongside Thriston Lawrence and Andy Sullivan as he aims to top the season-long rankings for the fourth season in a row and the seventh time overall.

Marco Penge and Tyrrell Hatton, the only players who came into the week with a chance of usurping McIlroy at the top of the Rankings, opened with rounds of 74 and 70, respectively.

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