Dubai: England’s Andy Sullivan shot the only eagle of the day to share a six under par 66 four-way lead with Ian Poulter, Martin Kaymer and Marcus Fraser, on day one of the DP World Tour Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates on Thursday.
Sullivan eagled the par five seventh but bogeyed his follow-up with two birdies on his front nine and three on his return, including a birdie on the eighteenth that enabled him to share the clubhouse lead.
“Thirty guys from home went nuts when it dropped in,” said Sullivan of his entourage’s reaction to that final birdie. “It was a nice little bonus to hole one from that range on the last.”
The 29-year-old’s friends and family are following him around wearing ‘Team Sulli’ shirts this week.
“Every time they come and follow me, they come in their droves and that really seemed to have helped today. Every putt that went in they were really cheering out there. I think it’s a big plus for me to have that on my side this week.”
Australia’s Marcus Fraser was up to seven under par through 15 but bogeyed the sixteenth hole to settle for the four-way tie.
“It’s always nice to get off to a fast start and keep it going,” said Fraser, who shot four birdies on his front nine and three on his return before that bogey. “Sixteen is always a hard hole for me. I missed my drive and going in with a three iron, it was always going to be a bit tough. That’s the way it is. But I did a lot of good out there, so it was good fun.”
Elsewhere, England’s Poulter had an unblemished round with three birdies on either nine, to put himself in contention, but he still wasn’t satisfied.
“I played well today, very solid,” said Poulter. “But I didn’t take care of the par fives and on the second I missed a relatively easy birdie putt and didn’t hole a three foot birdie putt on seven and I just missed a putt on the last.
“Although the round was good, it was a six under and I’m right up there, I’m walking off the course again just a little bit disappointed.”
Meanwhile, Germany’s Martin Kaymer makes up the leading quartet with three outward birdies and five on his return, pegged back by a bogey on either nine, but it could have been worse.
“I played really solid and didn’t make too many mistakes really,” said Kaymer. “I think I got a little unlucky on the par three where I hit the water on the sixth hole. I got a little gust of wind there but I saved bogey. I gave myself a lot of chances and I putted really well, so overall it was a very good round.”
England’s Luke Donald also started well at five under through eleven with six birdies and two bogies on his front nine. But he returned with a birdie and two bogies to finish three strokes off the lead at three under par 69.
And Sweden’s Henrik Stenson, who has won this event the past two year’s running, shot five over par 77 with a birdie, three bogies and a triple bogey on the sixteenth, to put his hat-trick hopes in serious doubt.
