ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — Previous champions Tommy Fleetwood and Shane Lowry have been in a five-way tie for the lead on the Abu Dhabi Championship after opening rounds of 8-under 64s on Thursday.
The Ryder Cup stars led together with Frenchman Adrien Saddier, New Zealand’s Kazuma Kobori and South African Richard Sterne — the one participant within the subject to have additionally contested the primary occasion in 2006.
Fleetwood, who received the match in 2017 and 2018, made eight birdies in a spotless spherical whereas 2019 champion Lowry carded 9 birdies and a single bogey.
“It is Thursday. You may clearly play your means out of it, you may’t win it, however eight underneath is a very nice approach to begin,” Fleetwood mentioned.
Saddier threatened to maneuver right into a sole lead within the afternoon after 9 birdies over his first 16 holes however dropped a shot on the seventeenth.
Sterne made two eagles but additionally had as many bogeys, whereas Kobori made an eagle and 6 birdies in a flawless first-round effort.
There have been seven gamers one shot additional again; Alex Noren, Andy Sullivan, Nicolai von Dellingshausen, Nicolai Højgaard, Keita Nakajima, Michael Kim and Nacho Elvira produced 65s.
Ludvig Åberg made a hole-in-one on the par-three eighth, touchdown his tee shot a few toes from the pin.
Nevertheless, he ended his spherical 4 pictures off the lead together with Ryder Cup teammate Rory McIlroy.
