Henrik Stenson got the defence of his Race to Dubai title off to a brilliant start with an opening 64 at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.
The Swede enjoyed a stellar 2016, being crowned Europe's number one for the second time and claiming his first Major Championship at The Open, and he picked up where he left off at Abu Dhabi Golf Club.
The 40 year old made eight birdies in a bogey-free effort to get to eight under and open up a two-shot lead over three-time winner Martin Kaymer, Thai Kiradech Aphibarnrat, England's Oliver Fisher and Scot Marc Warren.
Stenson holds the course record in Abu Dhabi after shooting a 62 in 2006 and while he did not go that low, his brilliant form on day one will have given the rest of the field something to worry about.
He birdied the tenth and 12th and then spun a brilliant approach close on the 13th to get to three under. Even better was to follow as he chipped in from the front of the 14th for the shot of the day so far.
An approach to 12 feet on the 17th got him to five under and when he got on the par five 18th in two, two putts put him in a commanding position.
A run of six pars then gave the field the chance to close the gap but an excellent tee-shot on the par three seventh brought another birdie before Stenson sealed a closing gain on the ninth.
Course-specialist Kaymer has five top threes in ten appearances here and he turned in 33 from the tenth with four birdies and a bogey and when he dropped a shot on the second, he was well off the pace.
A birdie on the fourth got him back to three under and then a birdie-birdie-birdie finish catapulted him up the leaderboard, with the help of a brilliant up-and-down from a waste area on the eighth.
Warren got off to a quick start with three birdies in his first four holes and after a dropped shot on the 15th he picked up four birdies in his next five holes to be right in contention.
Aphibarnrat was another man to go on a birdie run, picking up shots on the 16th and 17th before reeling off four in a row from the first.
Fisher turned in 34 with three birdies and a bogey and came to life on the back nine, picking up shots on the 11th, 13th, 15th and 17th.
England's Tyrrell Hatton was then at five under after a bogey-free 67, a shot clear of countrymen Jordan L Smith and Callum Shinkwin, Ryder Cup captain Thomas Bjørn, Welshman Bradley Dredge, Ireland's Paul Dunne, South African Branden Grace, France's Grégory Havret and Australian Jason Scrivener.
