American amateur David Ford claimed a share of the first-round lead at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic after a stunning 65 on his second DP World Tour start.
Ford's seven-under total at Emirates Golf Club was matched by Portugal's Ricardo Gouveia and Australian David Micheluzzi.
Meanwhile, defending champion Rory McIlroy kicked off his campaign with a two-under-par 70.
Italy's Guido Migliozzi sits fourth after an opening 66, with France's Mike Lorenzo-Vera in a share of fifth a shot further back on his return from a six-month break to address his mental health.
Lorenzo-Vera was joined on five under by Australian Jason Scrivener and Scottish pair Calum Hill and Ewen Ferguson.
Ford, who plays University golf in the United States and was part of their winning Walker Cup side in 2023, eagled the tenth – his first hole of the day – and mixed six birdies with a single bogey.
Currently sixth in the World Amateur Golf Rankings, Ford insisted hie came into the week with minimal expectations.
"I try to keep my expectations low. I know where my game is at right now and I have got a lot of people around me believing in me which is really helpful going into this week," he said.
Micheluzzi had seven birdies in a flawless opening round – a remarkable achievement given the 28-year-old had never played the Majlis Course before.
"Everyone is saying how tough it was and today I played great. There's nothing more to it," he said.
Gouveia is still looking for his maiden DP World Tour win in his 190th event but arrived in Dubai full of confidence after finishing third at the Genesis Championship on his last start of 2024 to keep his card, having began the week knowing he needed to finish in the top five.
"One of those days everything went really well," he said. "I hit some good tee shots, some good second shots. Holed some good putts, as well, and that's key out here. You've got to be on the fairway to be able to attack these pins, and that's what I did today."
Fun for all at HDDC
All ages are welcome every day of the tournament and on Family Friday there is even more for young visitors to look forward to.
Tournament Town is where it’s at as FamilyBeatz, Dubai’s first family-friendly rave, gets the party going from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm.
Live acts, roaming performers, games, competitions, workshops, as well as complimentary face painting and glitter painting from Glitterbox will bring even more excitement.
From 6:00 pm there will be live music by Shades of Jade and DJ Greene until late. In addition, a vast selection of delicious local and international food and beverage options will be available.
There’s more to look forward to with the Step Fore It challenge, a new initiative that celebrates the health benefits of golf by encouraging spectators to get active and rack up as many steps as possible during the tournament.
Participants can register from 7:00 am as they enter and track their steps, and there’s prizes for the top three participants each day.
There’s also an exciting opportunity for Roblox fans, with the launch of a specially created Hero Dubai Desert Classic Just Swing game, with big prizes up for grabs.
There are no more tickets left for general admission on Saturday. The lucky ones to have successfully registered for tickets should make sure they do not miss the action - or they can transfer any spare tickets to family and friends through the Hero Dubai Desert Classic App.
Friday and Sunday free general admission tickets are very limited and expected to be sold out very soon.
American qualifier Tien stuns Medvedev in late night epic
Sinner subdues wildcard Schoolkate on Rod Laver Arena
Arabia Wolves to tackle Mid East Falcons in UAE Baseball Series
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders to 30-run victory against Sharjah Warriorz
Derby win shows Arsenal firmly in title race Arteta says
