Shane Lowry will take a three-shot lead into the second round of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship presented by EGA after equalling the course record with a sparkling 62 on Wednesday.
Lowry became the first man to match Henrik Stenson’s 13-year-old record, after firing ten birdies and no bogeys at Abu Dhabi Golf Club early on day one.
Louis Oosthuizen, Richard Sterne and Mike Lorenzo-Vera were in a tie for second after making the most of favourable scoring conditions in the morning, while afternoon starter Pablo Larrazábal was alongside them on seven-under par after carding a stunning eagle, six birdies and a solitary bogey in his first round.
Three-time former champion Martin Kaymer, Englishmen Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter, Dane Søren Kjeldsen and Swede Alexander Björk were another stroke further back.
Oosthuizen has enjoyed a fine start to the 2019 campaign, winning the South African Open hosted by the City of Johannesburg for the first time in December, before finishing in a tie for seventh at the Alfred Dunhill Championship the following week.
And he picked up where he left off in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday, recovering from a double bogey at the 12th – his third – with birdies at the 15th, 16th and 18th before notching six more birdies on his back nine to sign for a 65.
‘It’s very important to keep going and play well. A good start to the season is always nice for the rest of the year,’ he said.
‘You can sort of build on that. So yeah, I’ll see if I can put three more good rounds together and then see if I can have a good finish this week.’
Saffa leaderboard:
