Day one digest: 2022 Ras Al Khaimah Championship presented by Phoenix Capital

Everything you need to know from day one at Al Hamra Golf Club.

Heisele had a dream comeback, the veterans were mixing it with the young guns, Rasmus showed he's only human and Aaron had a big finish on day one of the 2022 Ras Al Khaimah Championship presented by Phoenix Capital.

Comeback kid Heisele shares the lead

After suffering with concentration issues and nervousness and having made just four cuts in 2021, Sebastian Heisele shut down his season in September. An operation to remove his thyroid followed and five months after he last teed it up in Italy, the German leads a DP World Tour event for the first time at seven under. "I had my thyroid removed in early October and I feel like a new man more or less," he said. "I turned things around for the better for me so I’m happy I got it done. I couldn’t imagine sat on the plane that it would be like this, I was a bit nervous and didn’t know what to expect. I had a few decent days of practice leading up to today obviously and made the most of it." Scott Jamieson also carded a bogey-free 65 as his strong start to the season continued.

Class is permanent

He may be 58 but Miguel Ángel Jiménez still has plenty of the old magic - inches from an albatross.

Baby Bjørn

Miguel was in what could easily be termed a legends group, playing alongside two Ryder Cup winning captains in Thomas Bjørn and Colin Montgomerie. With Monty also being 58, the Great Dane was very much the baby of the group at 50, a situation he has not experienced too often in the last few years. "It's been a while," he said. "It's like the late-90s but it's nice. They make their living on the Champions Tour and make a good living of it but it's nice to see them come back and play. It's good for young players on this tour more than anything to see people that have done so much, not only by playing, but in personality for the tour."

If you can't be good.......

OK, Rasmus Højgaard is pretty good, but it gives us all some hope when we see that even the pros hit a top every now and again. Of course, theirs go to ten feet.

Big bird for a big finish

The golf Gods giveth and the golf Gods taketh away. Aaron Cockerill was four over after 17 holes with a double and five bogeys but then he did this.

It's a strange game, really.