Brandon Stone took full advantage of the scoring opportunities on the front nine on Thursday on his way to a six-under-par 66 in the first round of the DP World Tour’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship at Yas Links in the UAE.
Stone made six birdies without dropping a shot on his way to the turn which he reached in 30 strokes. He made just a single birdie on the back nine, and dropped a shot on the par-four 15th, and, while he would have been very happy with that start, he found himself four strokes off the lead on a low-scoring day in the opening event of the DP World Tour’s two-tournament play-off series.
Only six players in the 70-man field were over-par for that front nine. Tommy Fleetwood wasn’t one of tham as he had a bogey-free 10-under-par 62 with nines of 31 and 31. The Englishman led by one from Thorbjorn Olesen of Denmark and American Johannes Veerman, who matched Stone’s 30 on the front nine. Fleetwood birdied the last hole to equal the course record.
Four players, including England’s Tyrrell Hatton, were on eight-under in a share of fourth, with three players on seven-under in a share of eighth, including Robert MacIntyre of Scotland.
Stone shared 11th with six other players, including Dane Rasmus Hojgaard and LIV Golf star Joaquin Niemann of Chile.
Thriston Lawrence matched the opening five-under-par of world number three and Race to Dubai leader Rory McIlroy. Lawrence, lying second on the Race to Dubai, is one man who has a theoretical chance of derailing McIlroy in his attempt to win a sixth Race to Dubai title. Lawrence had an early bogey – on the third – but made six birdies in a solid start. He was in a share of 18th.
Jayden Schaper dropped a shot on the 17th for the only blemish on his card which showed an opening three-under-par 69 for a share of 35th. Dylan Frittelli had two eagles in his two-under-par 70, and he was in a share of 48th with, amongst others, Casey Jarvis. Jarvis had two late bogeys which spoiled a very good start.
