Alexander Noren and Charl Schwartzel overcame tough desert conditions yesterday to take the clubhouse lead at the Dubai Desert Classic after both shot a 4-under 68 in the first round.
With a strong wind whipping up clouds of sand, visibility was so poor that even the skyscrapers bordering the Emirates Golf Club were almost blotted out. That didn’t stop Schwartzel from making four birdies in a bogey-free round.
“These were the toughest conditions I have ever seen at the Emirates,” the South African said. “It was not just the wind blowing, but the lack of visibility caused by the sand in it. ... It was very hard to pick out a target to aim at when everything was so blurry like that.”
Noren held the sole lead at 5 under after just 12 holes, but then bogeyed the 18th. The Swede said he enjoyed the tough conditions, as it helped him focus throughout the round.
“Yes, it played tough,” he said. “But I like it like that. It makes me concentrate more, but after I had a good start and got to 3-under it actually felt easy to me.”
Anders Hansen of Denmark was a shot back in second place, while only 12 of the 66 morning starters managed to break par.
■ASIAN TOUR INT.
AFP, BANGKOK
Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat battled to a four-under-par 68 yesterday to share the first round lead with American Jason Knutzon and Brazilian newcomer Lucas Lee at the season-opening Asian Tour International.
The 20-year-old Kiradech, a former world junior champion, rolled in five birdies at the Suwan Golf and Country Club to join Knutzon, who played despite being ill, and Lee atop the leaderboard at the US$300,000 event.
Filipino Mars Pucay shot the season’s first hole-in-one en route to a 69 to trail in tied fourth place with Singaporean duo Quincy Quek and Lam Chih Bing, Sweden’s Richard Karlberg, South Korea’s Kim Dae-hyun, Australian Rohan Blizard, 14-year-old Thai amateur Atiwit Janewattananond and Hideto Tanihara, an eight-time winner in Japan.
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