SHANE LOWRY GOT his new year off to a flying start as he chased down the early pace-setters at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship.
Lowry — who won this tournament in 2019 — is four shots off the lead on day one after opening with a five-under par 67 at Yas Links.
The 2019 Open champion kickstarted his round when he rolled in a 44-foot birdie at the par-three fourth and added another at the seventh before making three in a row across the turn at nine, 10 and 11.
His only blip of the round came at the par-four 12th when he three-putted for a bogey, but Lowry bounced back in style by chipping in for his sixth birdie of the day at the 15th.
He sits in a share of 10th place, four behind leader Scott Jamison who enjoyed a bogey-free round of 63 as he chases his first European Tour win in over nine years.
Viktor Hovland is one shot back on eight-under while Thomas Pieters is third on seven-under.
Meanwhile, Rory McIlroy had three bogeys in his final four holes as he struggled to a level-par 72 which leaves him way down the leaderboard in a tie for 77th, while a bogey on 17 saw Pádraig Harrington finish on one-over par alongside last season’s Race To Dubai champion Collin Morikawa.
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