Murphy sets the pace after Round 1 at New Giza Open

Egypt, February 27, 2026 – In-form players made an immediate impact at the start of the 2026 New Giza Open, with Ireland’s Sam Murphy taking the early lead in Cairo after an impressive 65 (-7). The Ein Bay Open winner continued his strong start to the season with a flawless, bogey-free round.

Full leaderboard

Italy’s Luca Memeo set the pace in the afternoon with a solid 66 (-6). Fellow Italian Andrea Romano, winner of the Red Sea Little Venice Open earlier this week, confirmed his excellent form with a 67 (-5). The current Order of Merit leader shares third place alongside England’s Barclay Brown, France’s Alexandre Vandermoten and Alexis Leray, and American Adrian Soriano.

Play was suspended due to darkness before all groups could complete their rounds. The remaining players will return to the course at 7:00 a.m. to finish Round 1, while Round 2 will begin as scheduled at 7:00 a.m. from both the 1st and 10th tees. At the conclusion of the second round, a cut will be made to the top 40 professionals and ties (excluding amateurs), who will advance to the final round.

Round 1 Player Quotes

Sam Murphy : ” My game felt really solid again — I drove the ball well, gave myself plenty of good opportunities, and hit my irons beautifully. Hitting all 18 greens made it a bit more stress-free, even in tricky conditions.

I’m absolutely delighted with the round. It’s a great way to start the tournament, and now the goal is to build on it with another solid, steady round tomorrow. We’ll see where that puts me, but I’m really pleased with how everything went today and I’m hoping to keep this form going.”

Tournament Sponsors

The 2026 New Giza Open is part of the Egypt Golf Series 2026 and is proudly supported by New Giza for Real Estate and Development as the title sponsor. Additional support is provided by TPC – Touristic Promotion Company.

Photo Credit : Alps Tour Golf /Raffaele Canepa

Alps Tour Media Contact- Nathan Cardet : [email protected]

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