Martin Kaymer powers into the lead

Edited by Anand Datla

January 15, 2015: Three time winner Martin Kaymer continued his affinity for the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship by moving into a one shot lead after the opening round.  On a day when Tom Lewis and Miguel Angel Jiménez recorded hole in ones, the German also excelled by carding an eight under par 64.

Kaymer, who triumphed at Abu Dhabi Golf Club in 2008, 2010 and 2011 and was runner-up in 2009, picked up shots on ten occasions and was quick to shrug off bogies at the ninth and 12th.

The 30 year old, playing alongside an inconsistent Justin Rose and defending champion Pablo Larrazábal, saved his best until the last when a 260-yard approach shot set him up for an eagle attempt which just came up short, the gain moving him one ahead of Thomas Pieters.

Kaymer said: “I putted well. I made ten birdies. I’m not sure if I have ever done it on a golf course, hit ten birdies. I hit a lot of fairways, my irons were quite sharp and I putted well. It’s very difficult to shoot a bad score when you play like this.

“Now the goal is not to compare myself tomorrow to the round what happened today. Tomorrow will be a new start but it’s a brilliant start to a great tournament.”

Belgian Pieters initially held the lead following a superb seven under par 65.  The 22 year old, yet to win on the European Tour, hit the ground running with seven birdies in his first 13 holes and, despite bogeying the 15th after missing a simple putt, he recovered by picking up a shot on the last.

He said: “It was nice to start out the season with a seven under, so, I’m happy. I like the greens here. They changed a couple of the greens around, like four, it’s going to be a really good pin and they put it front right and I think two is really good, too.”

Pieters sits one shot ahead of in-form Branden Grace, Grégory Bourdy, Tyrrell Hatton, starting his second season on the European Tour, Alexander Levy and Mikko Ilonen.

Alfred Dunhill Championship champion Grace, of South Africa, Frenchman Bourdy and Englishman Hatton all produced blemish free rounds of 66 while five consecutive birdies from the eighth boosted Finn Ilonen.

Ryder Cup rivals and playing partners Rory McIlroy, making his first appearance of the year, and Rickie Fowler are among half a dozen players on five under.

After completing the back nine in level par, the World Number One sparked into life courtesy of a brilliant shot from the edge of the rough and bunker on the third to secure an unlikely birdie, one of five gains in six holes to complete a 67.

On that excellent shot, McIlroy said: “It’s definitely a boost. It’s not a shot I would practise too much, that’s for sure.

“But from looking like you’re going to make a bogey to making a birdie that gives you a little bit of momentum and you can go on from there and luckily I was able to make a few birdies after that.”

American Fowler appeared to be marking his debut at this event with an immaculate opening round until he dropped a shot on the ninth, his last hole.

Alex Noren, fit again following tendonitis in both wrists, is among the six players three shots off Kaymer after impressing on his first appearance on the European Tour since the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth in May 2014, overcoming a dropped shot on the first with six birdies.

The shots of the day came from Lewis and Jiménez, who produced the tenth and 11th holes-in-one in the tournament’s history, the former’s shot on the seventh winning him a Cadillac Escalade in front of his father.

Spaniard Jiménez’s ace, on the 177-yard par three 15th, was the eighth of his European Tour career and moved him into second place in the all-time list behind Colin Montgomerie.  The 51 year old said: “It’s very nice when you make a hole-in-one. I’m happy I finished level par today.”