Everything you need to know from Thursday's play at the penultimate Rolex Series event of the season.
There was a logjam at the top of the leaderboard while we were treated to an ace and some excellent eagles on day one of the 2025 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.
Here is everything you need to know from Thursday's play at the penultimate Rolex Series event of the season.
Five-way tie at the top
Past champions Tommy Fleetwood and Shane Lowry were part of a five-way tie after opening with stunning 64s. The Ryder Cup stars, who played alongside each other on Thursday, shared the lead with New Zealand's Kazuma Kobori, South African Richard Sterne and Frenchman Adrien Saddier on eight under par. "It was nice," said 2019 champion Lowry. "I was paired with (Fleetwood) in India the first two days and I shot 64 as well. So yeah, something about me and Tommy. But no, I just like playing with him, your friend, and really good player too."
Åberg's amazing ace
European Ryder Cup star Ludvig Åberg made a hole-in-one on the par-three eighth on Thursday, landing his tee-shot a couple of feet from the pin before watching his ball roll into the cup for an ace.
McIlroy drives tenth green
When Rory McIlroy arrived at the tenth tee to take on the 394-yard par four, he opted to pull his new driver out of the bag. And the result was quite spectacular, as he drove the green before going on to make a birdie. McIlroy said: "I felt like the driver was good. Obviously a new driver in the bag this week. Felt like that worked well."
Parry's extraordinary eagle
John Parry's approach at the fifth was a thing of beauty, taking two bounces on the green before diving into the cup for a hole-out eagle two. Check this out...
Schaper bounces back
Jayden Schaper immediately banished the memory of his disappointing double bogey on the ninth by holing out from the tenth fairway for an eagle. Nicely done, Jayden.
Lowry produces magic at the ninth
Lowry was unlucky not to hole his approach at the ninth. His classy second shot from 161 yards landed left of the flag before feeding down towards the hole, finishing inches from the cup.
