DUBAI — Germany’s Martin Kaymer and England’s Ian Poulter are among four players tied for the lead after Thursday’s first day of the DP World Tour Championship, the $8 million finale of the European season.
The Ryder Cup teammates carded 66 and are joined on six-under by another Englishman, Andy Sullivan, and Australia’s Marcus Fraser.
World No. 3 Rory McIlroy, who began the day top of Europe’s money list and is aiming to be the continent’s top earner for a third year in four, is two shots further back on 68 after chipping in from the bunker to birdie the final hole.
Poulter did not drop a shot as he claimed three birdies on the front nine and three more after the turn.
“I took care of the par-fours and the par-threes. I just didn’t really take care of the par-fives,” Poulter, 39, told reporters, after squandering three birdie opportunities, missing 15-foot putts on holes two and 18 and a four-footer on seven.
Kaymer, a two-time major winner, escaped with a bogey after finding water on the par-three sixth hole, while a run of five birdies on the final eight holes was marred only by another dropped shot on 16 as the early-starting players found it easier to score low before a desert wind whipped up in the afternoon.
World No. 133 Fraser is an unlikely front-runner and will hope to improve on his record of two top-10 tour finishes this year despite a bogey on the 16th which pulled him back into the chasing pack.
Italy’s Francesco Molinari is five-under, while McIlroy is one of eight players a shot further back, in a pack that also includes England’s Danny Willett, the Northern Irishman’s main rival to win the Race to Dubai.
Scott makes early charge
In Melbourne, Adam Scott showed his growing comfort with the short putter as he lit up Huntingdale Golf Club with a seven-under 64 to take a one-shot lead after the opening round of the Australian Masters Thursday.
The former world No. 1 made the most of benign conditions on a muggy, overcast morning and rolled in five birdies on his last eight holes on the storied sandbelt course in Melbourne.
Strong winds later in the day made it difficult for the chasing pack but Western Australian Daniel Fox roared home with five birdies on his last five holes to finish with a 65, one off the pace in outright second.
Three other local professionals — Peter Wilson, Matthew Stieger and Mathew Goggin — were two strokes further adrift on four-under.
John Senden shot two-under to be five off the pace. Rising American talent Bryson Dechambeau shot two-under in Scott’s group.
Fung leads in Manila
Nicholas Fung said he was riding a wave of confidence from a runner-up finish last week as he shot a six-under-par 66 to lead the Manila Masters by a stroke Thursday.
The 25-year-old Malaysian drained seven birdies at par-72 Manila Southwoods Golf and Country Club to hit the front after round one.
Thailand’s Poom Saksansin and Hung Chien-yao of Taiwan shared second spot, a shot ahead of a group of seven bunched on 68.
