Former champions Henrik Stenson and Andrew Coltart share a slender one stroke first round lead at the Commercialbank Qatar Masters Presented by Dolphin Energy with Miguel Angel Jiménez.
World Number 11 Stenson, the runner up last year to Adam Scott following his 2006 triumph, took advantage of calmer morning conditions to set the pace with a six under par 66.
Inaugural Qatar champion Coltart, fresh from winning back his Tour card at Qualifying School, and a bogey free Jiménez were able to match the Swede as they tamed the windy afternoon conditions at the traditionally testing Doha Golf Club.
The Spanish Ryder Cup star, who was battling a thumb injury suffered while skiing which was restricting his driving, had a chance to claim the outright overnight lead but missed an eight foot birdie putt at the last.
English duo Lee Westwood and Robert Dinwiddie, Joburg Open winner Anders Hansen, Australia’s Brett Rumford and Abu Dhabi runner up Louis Oosthuizen share fourth place at five under.
After missing the cut last week in Abu Dhabi, Dubai resident Stenson picked up four shots in eight holes around the turn to make his move before finishing with back-to-back birdies, showing signs of the form which helped him win the Nedbank Golf Challenge and team up with Robert Karlsson for Omega Mission Hills World Cup success in recent months.
“I maybe didn’t play my best, but I took my chances and I was putting really well. It comes down to the putting and I made some good ten to 15 footers,” said the 32 year old.
“It’s a course I really enjoy playing. I think it’s the ninth time coming to Qatar so I have a fair idea how to play the course.”
After starting on the back nine Coltart reached the turn four under courtesy of an eagle two after driving the 307 yard 16th.
And despite dropping his only bogey at the sixth after three putting the green, three birdies including one at the last, kept the Scot at the top of the leaderboard.
“I have good memories in Qatar. I have managed to make the odd birdie around this course but I have also had the odd disaster when it has been pretty windy,” said Coltart.
“The eagle at 16 was the highlight as I was able to drive the green to ten feet and hole the putt. I had a good birdie at 12 which was a 25 footer across the green. I was also giving myself the birdie chances, there were four more inside ten feet which was quite pleasing as the wind was getting quite tricky.”
Jiménez said: “Playing very well, especially my iron shots. My driver is not straight, solid, because of my injury, I feel pain in my swing. But I'm hitting my irons very good, and holed some putts, and that's what you need to make the score.”
World Number Ten Westwood was delighted with his first competitive round of 2009, and praised the course.
“It's set up just the way I think we'd all like it. If you miss a fairway, you get penalised, which you should do. The greens are true, the putts will go in if they are on line, and the greens, they don't spike up,” he said.
