Dubai World Championship: Allenby takes opening day lead

Dubai: Australia’s Robert Allenby has taken the early clubhouse lead on the opening day’s play at the season-ending Dubai World Championship after posting the lowest score of the day so far; a seven-under-65.

Allenby is one stroke ahead of the pairing of Chris Wood and Camilo Villegas who each finished his first round with a six-under-66. Allenby birdied on the 1st, 6th, 8th, 10th, 11th 13th, 16th and 18th holes and could have finished with an eight-under total, but a lone blemish, a bogey on the par-five 14th , prevented him from what would have been a superb eight-under on a course described by its designer Greg Norman as the “ultimate challenge” of a golfer’s ability.

Wood, who birdied the last four holes – the Golden Mile stretch – on Earth, said: “My caddie, Dave said he thought the intensity I was putting into my shots wasn’t quite there. I really tried to focus in on my target during the last four holes, and I’ve been working quite a lot on my swing. I definitely seemed to trust my swing a little bit more and it all worked out.”

Race to Dubai leader Rory McIllroy was on one-under after 11 holes while Lee Westwood, another leading contender for the title, was four under.

A quality field of 60 golfers are competing in the $7.5million event which offers a lucrative first price of $1.24 million.

The tournament is being played at Greg Norman’s Earth Course on the Jumeirah Golf Estates.

McIlroy Will take the crown regardless of how he plays over the next four days provided Westwood is outside the top seven. McIlroy has one win, in the Dubai Desert Classic and a further 12 top tens, including three runners-up finishes this season.

Westwood cannot be caught if he wins. If he is second he will be champion if McIlroy is not first or tied second and Kaymer does not win.