Francesco Laporta led the way, Jon Rahm had a debut to remember and Sam Bairstow took his chance on day one of the Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship.
Here is everything you need to know from Thursday at the fourth Rolex Series event of the season.
Laporta dominates day one
Laporta matched the lowest round of his DP World Tour career to storm into a three-shot lead after round one. The Italian carded an eagle and eight birdies in a bogey-free 62 to get to ten under at Yas Links, three shots clear of former World Number One Jon Rahm, Englishman Sam Bairstow and Austria's Bernd Wiesberger. "Everything was just going like a video game, like just hitting shots straight and making some putts and just giving myself opportunities," he said. "I'm very happy about that. Actually, I was struggling a bit in the last few days. So I had a lot of time on the range yesterday and I spent a lot of time on the greens, just understanding how to work around the lines and the spin because the greens, like they're pure, but they're also quick. So now it works."
Rahm shines on debut
Rahm enjoyed playing with the pressure off as he carded an impressive 65 in his first competitive round at Yas Links. The Spaniard had not played since the BMW PGA Championship due to the birth of daughter Begoña, with the arrival of his fourth child forcing him to miss the Open de España presented by Madrid for the first time in his career. With a lack of practice due to family time and the overseeding of courses in Phoenix and no familairity with the layout at the fourth Rolex Series event of the season, Rahm could have maybe been forgiven for making a stuttering start in the UAE. But the two-time Major champion revealed those factors actually lowered his expectations and he was able to play with freedom in the first event of the DP World Tour Play-Offs. "I think sometimes when your expectation is a little lower than usual, where I just kept thinking, 'listen, if we have a bad day, we have a bad day'," he said. "But I just kind of took it one shot at a time."
Last man in, first man out
Bairstow was not even in the field for this event five days ago, now he sits second after a brilliant opening 65. The Englishman was first reserve so made his way to Abu Dhabi and discovered he was playing while on his flight. Due to being the last man in the field, he was in the first group out at 7.19 but showed no ill effects of an early alarm, carding seven birdies, and will go out last on day two. "I was on the flight over here and I got the message that I was playing," he said. "Three good days' prep, which was nice. I think with where I am you sort of just go at it and see what happens, really. It's either play well or I don't."
"It's the big dog"
Not many people try and drive the 14th green at Yas Links. Not many people are Rory McIlroy.
Katsuragawa stays hot in the desert
Yuto Katsuragawa has won two weeks in a row across the DP World Tour and Japan Golf Tour and after 18 holes in the UAE he is in a tie for seventh and aiming fior a third win. More shots like this and he might just do it.
