Triple former winner Martin Kaymer eclipsed playing partners Rory McIlroy and former world number one Tiger Woods in their marquee three-ball in the first round of the $2.7 million Abu Dhabi Championship on Thursday. German Kaymer, who lifted the spectacular Falcon Trophy in 2008, 2010 and 2011, carded a one-under 71 in difficult winds gusting up to 20mph (30kph) while an out-of-sorts McIlroy ballooned to a 75 and Woods had to settle for a 72.
All three trailed early clubhouse leader Jamie Donaldson of Britain who plotted his way to a five-under 67. McIlroy, Woods and Kaymer started on the 10th hole at 0740 local time and were introduced to an excited gallery by European Tour chief executive George O’Grady. The trio all found sand on their par-five first hole, McIlroy somehow managing to putt his way into a greenside bunker, but each saved par. The world number one’s game began to unravel when he took a double-bogey five at the 15th. He hit back with a birdie at the long second before producing an errant tee shot at the third and slumping to his second double-bogey in seven holes. Northern Irishman McIlroy looked on as Woods made a strong move by birdying the 15th, 17th and 18th but the world number two dropped back into the pack with successive bogeys at the first and second. A birdie at the eighth cheered up the 14-times major winner before he made a mess of the ninth and final hole, three-putting from 30 feet.
Woods, however, was not displeased with his performance. “I’m right there,” the 37-year-old American told reporters. “If I had two-putted the last I’d have been 12th or 13th, something like that. “There are not a lot of guys going low out there. You seem like you’re banking up against the wind pretty much all day. “It’s tough – these fairways are tiny to begin with and there were a lot of crosswinds today,” added Woods. “I don’t think it’s supposed to blow as hard tomorrow, at least that’s the forecast. “The rough is deep enough where it’s tough to get to the green. It’s imperative to get the ball in the fairway.” Woods completely duffed his drive at the first hole, his 10th, when he struck the ground behind the tee peg and the ball only squirted out 120 yards.
Rose happy to stand aside for McIlroy: Justin Rose accepts he will probably never be as big a celebrity as Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, but as long as his golf looks good alongside theirs he will be happy. The trio, first, second and fifth in the world, are all kicking off their 2013 seasons at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship on Thursday, with top two McIlroy and Woods immediately thrust into a head-to-head clash. Rose, paired later in the day with Ernie Els and defending champion Robert Rock, said as he looked ahead to his debut in the event: “I think status is in the eye of everybody else.
“I think from a golf point of view I feel very comfortable where my game is. “I know what I need to improve, I know how I’m going to do it and I back myself. “I feel comfortable standing up in that situation now and believing that I have the tools and the skills to compete.”
