Matthew Fitzpatrick finished with four straight birdies to open up a one-shot lead on the first day of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic – but he had a stellar chasing pack breathing down his neck.
Fitzpatrick made eight birdies – including six on the back nine – and a single bogey in trickier afternoon conditions on Thursday to sign for a 65, jumping out of the large group at six-under par and into first place.
Sergio Garcia and Bryson DeChambeau were among those one shot behind Fitzpatrick after producing sparkling 66s in the morning, alongside Scott Hend, Matthieu Pavon, Thongchai Jaidee and Kalle Samooja, and later starters Callum Shinkwin and Romain Langasque.
Defending champion Haotong Li was another stroke further back on five-under following a day of impressive scoring at Emirates Golf Club. Li was part of the group of nine players sharing 10th alongside SA’s best performer in round one, Christiaan Bezuidenhout.
The 24-year-old, who finished inside the top 20 in Mauritius and Leopard Creek, will rue three bogeys in his opening effort as he looks to work his way into contention come the weekend.
One shot further back is a large group headlined by Tommy Fleetwood. Local fans will be pleased to note that three-time winner Ernie Els forms part of this pack, after a round that contained seven birdies and three drops.
Last week’s runner-up Richard Sterne had a day to forget after managing just a single birdie in his opening 78.
