On a scorching day at Yas Links, Dubai-based star Tommy Fleetwood turned up the heat even more, carding a dazzling 10-under-par 62 to tie the course record and seize the lead on the opening day of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.
Despite temperatures soaring close to 35°C, the Englishman kept his cool on the Kyle Phillips-designed track, carding an eagle and eight birdies to secure his place at the top of the leaderboard after a remarkably low scoring round, with 34 players carding 68 or better.
“I got off to a great start,” said Fleetwood.
“I didn't feel like I swung it perfectly early on and I actually felt like I started playing better as the round got to the back nine. I felt like I swung it really nicely on the back nine. One poor iron shot trying to drill it on 17.
“Putted amazing. Felt like I read the greens so well. Beautiful pace control and hit a lot of good putts and started holing them. I worked even all the way through to the last hole, I just hit perfect putts.
“When you shoot a 62, obviously everything is going to have gone very, very well. Just happy to have got off to a great start.”
The World No.10 revealed earlier this week that he had added a new TaylorMade putter to his bag and sought advice from former Ryder Cup stars Ken Brown and David Howell in preparation for this week’s event, which he famously won in both 2017 and 2018.
The adjustments clearly paid off, as Fleetwood drained putts totalling over 100 feet, needing just a single stroke with the flatstick at ten of his 18 holes.
“I always look to the guys, they are very supportive of me, week-in, week-out,” said Fleetwood.
“I love seeing them when I'm out here playing are. We had a really nice discussion about putting. Obviously, I've worked with Phil Kenyon for a long time. He's an unbelievable putting coach. You know, I always feel like I'm a good putter. It doesn't always show.
“But definitely sort of the second half of this year, like through the summer I haven't putted as well or converted as many putts as we'd have liked.
“We've been working on that and I happened to bump into Ken and Howler on the course and we were talking about a couple of things. Working on sort of how I move my head in my stroke in a couple of practise drills and what happens there.
“And it's always nice to have a good discussion. They are two of the best putters I've ever met and any time you're talking to those guys, you're always going to pick something up.”
Dubai resident Thorbjørn Olesen and Johannes Veerman are hot on the heels of the Englishman after the duo each posted 63, while LIV Golf star Tyrrell Hatton, Laurie Canter, Paul Waring and Francesca Laporta are a shot further back in a share of fourth.
World No.3 Rory McIlory, who could wrap up a sixth Race to Dubai title this week, sits in a share of 18th on five under par.
The Northern Irishman had told reporters on Wednesday that the has been busy working on improving his swing since his last outing at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. Today’s opening round offered him a first glimpse of his revamped swing in competitive action.
“Yeah, it felt okay,” said McIlroy.
“Yeah, sort of gotten comfortable with doing this little rehearsal before I take the club back. Yeah, it felt fine.
“I probably wasn't as imaginative out there or I was sort of hitting very straight shots and I hit a couple where I didn't really see the picture of what I was trying to do with the ball flight because I was thinking too much on what I was doing with the swing.
“Overall, I'm quite fortunate that it's a nice week to come back because there's not too much wind. It's pretty wide off the tee. So, I feel like I can concentrate a little bit more on what I'm trying to do with the motion. Yeah, overall, it felt pretty good today.”
The Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship continues on Friday with Veerman, Alfredo Garcia-Heredia and Jayden Schaper getting proceedings underway for round two at 7:17am.
