Sergio Garcia and Ian Poulter were part of a five-way tie for the lead early on day one of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic.
The experienced duo both got to four under around the turn to join Felipe Aguilar, Nino Bertasio and David Lipsky at the top of the leaderboard, with ten players just a further shot back.
Matthew Fitzpatrick was at three under with defending champion Danny Willett a further shot back but Tiger Woods - the third member of that group - struggled to find his rhythm and turned in a three over par 40.
Lipsky was the big early mover, making birdies on his first four holes but Wade Ormsby soon joined him at four under as he turned in 33 with a single bogey and birdies on the 11th, 13th, 16th, 17th and 18th.
Fitzpatrick had spoken in the morning of his excitement at playing alongside Woods but he did not seem to be fazed by the 14-time Major Championship winner as he quickly moved within one of the lead.
A smart two-putt from the back of the green on the par five tenth brought a first birdie of the day and he then put his tee-shot on the par three 11th to four feet for another gain.
A stunning approach to the 14th handed him another birdie and he moved into a growing group at three under with many players making fast starts.
Poulter was already one under when he rolled in a monster putt at the 15th and he got up and down from the rough on the next to get within one of the lead.
He took advantage of the par five 18th and Garcia soon followed suit after having made gains on the tenth, 12th and 17th.
Ormsby dropped out of the lead with a bogey on the fourth and Lipsky did the same on the ninth but he bounced back with a birdie on the next.
Bertasio had birdies on the first, third, eighth and 13th in his first 14 holes while Aguilar had gains on the third, fifth, seventh and 11th.
George Coetzee, Nacho Elvira, Niclas Fasth, Lasse Jensen, Joost Luiten, Graeme McDowell, Thomas Pieters and Brandon Stone were alongside Fitzpatrick and Ormsby a shot off the lead.
