12:14pm Friday 27th January 2012
By Tony Kelly
LEVEL – but not quite at his best – was the verdict on Simon Dyson’s opening round in the Abu Dhabi HSBC golf championships.
The York-born golf king shot a level-par 72 on the first day to finish half-way down a star-studded field in the $2.7 million tournament.
Dyson could not have wished for a better start to the European Tour event, which has attracted the current leading four in the world rankings, as well as heralding the Euro comeback of former number one Tiger Woods.
In a blistering start to what he termed his “desert swing”
campaign, world number 28 Dyson birdied the opening two holes.
But despite that double delight, he never truly got to grips with the Abu Dhabi course, his form fluctuating up and down like sand dunes.
His first dropped shot was suffered on the par-three fourth hole, at 174 yards the shortest on the course. He dropped back to level par with a bogey on the par-five eighth.
Dyson responded with a birdie on the par-four ninth hole to be out in one-under, but immediately the inward nine started with a blip, as the 34-year-old ceded a shot on the tenth for the second six on his card.
The down and up trend continued with a bogey on the 13th followed by a birdie on the next. He was back in arrears with his fourth bogey of the day on the 16th, but restored parity by birdying the par-fifth last hole.
Coincidentally, his level-par 72 was mirrored by his two playing partners, former US Open champion Graeme McDowell, and Spanish legend Miguel Angel Jimenez.
Out in front going in today’s second round, Rory McIlroy outshone playing partners Woods and world number one Luke Donald with a five-under-par opening round.
The 22-year-old reigning US Open champion took a share of the lead with Swede Robert Karlsson, while Woods shot a bogey-free 70 and Chicago-based Donald a 71.
The big surprise was the 77 by German Martin Kaymer, winner the last two years and in three of the last four.
He was playing with Lee Westwood (72) and Sergio Garcia, whose 71 included the first hole-in-one of his European Tour career.
Woods was playing his first event since ending more than two years without a victory last month.
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