It was a bogey-free start to 2024 for Louis de Jager on Thursday as he carded a four-under-par 68 in the first round of the DP World Tour’s Hero Dubai Desert Classic at the Emirates Golf Club in Dubai.

With three birdies on his front nine after starting on the 10^th, he picked up a fourth immediately after the turn on the first before coming home with eight consecutive pars. That put him just one stroke off the lead which was shared by China’s Haotong Li, Andy Sullivan of England, Cameron Young of the United States and the Dane Rasmus Hojgaard.

There were six other players on four-under together with De Jager. They were Richard Mansell of England, the Pole Andrian Meronk, the other Hojgaard twin Nicolai, two other Danes in Soren Kjeldsen and Thorbjorn Olesen, and Spain’s Sebastian Garcia.

There were 10 players on three-under in a share of 12^th, including last week’s winner Tommy Fleetwood. The men who shared second last week behind the Englishmen, Rory McIlroy and South Africa’s Thriston Lawrence, were on one-under and three-over respectively.

Next-best of the South African’s behind De Jager were MJ Daffue and Zander Lombard on one-under, together with Hennie du Plessis. Casey Jarvis was on level-par in a share of 42^nd, while Jayden Schaper was on one-over in a share of 61^st.

Dylan Frittelli, who, like Daffue, is trying to make his way on the DP World Tour after losing his playing status on the PGA Tour in the United States, was on two-over.

Ockie Strydom joined Lawrence on three-over in a share of 96^th.