The final sprint in The Race to Dubai got under way on Thursday morning with glorious conditions greeting the players at the Turkish Airlines Open.
The Final Series teed off at The Montgomerie Maxx Royal in Antalya as a host of players attempted to chase down Race to Dubai defending champion and leader Rory McIlroy.
The Northern Irishman made a solid start in Turkey with a chip in on the 11th for birdie to get him to one under but that was three off the pace set by early leader Rafael Cabrera-Bello.
The Spaniard had an eventful morning, birdieing the tenth and then giving the shot back on the 12th before making gains on the 13th, 15th and 17th to get to three under.
Another birdie followed on the 18th as he made the turn in 33 to sit one shot clear of Richard Bland, David Howell, David Lipsky, Robert Rock and Chris Wood.
Howell began his round on the back nine and picked up shots on the tenth, 11th and 15th to be three under alongside Wood who birdied the 11th, 13th and 14th.
Lipsky was three under through six holes after following a birdie at the third with an eagle at the fourth with Bland in the group ahead having made birdies on the first, fourth and fifth.
Rock had made an even better start with gains on the first three holes catapulting him up the leaderboard.
Danny Willett is second in The Race to Dubai and he was one under through four holes playing alongside McIlroy, as was the third member of that group Shane Lowry.
Matthew Fitzpatrick, Graeme McDowell, Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood were also one under in the very early stages of their rounds after picking up birdies on the tenth.
Tyrrell Hatton spun the ball back into the cup for an eagle on the 11th to get to three under in the early stages but bogeys on the 14th and 16th saw him drop back.
