SANTOS SETS PACE WITH 65 IN QATAR MASTERS

REPORT FROM EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS

Portugal’s Ricardo Santos outshone the star names in the first round of the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters with a superb seven-under-par 65 today.

The 2012 Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year leads by one at Doha Golf Club from Frenchman Alex Kaleka, Englishman Anthony Wall and Scotland’s Peter Whiteford, while Simon Khan, the 2010 BMW PGA Champion, is one of six players a further shot back at five under.

World Number Four Justin Rose opened with a four under par 68, which was matched by playing partner Martin Kaymer. The third player in that group, World

Number Five Louis Oosthuizen, signed for a 71 after a double bogey at the final hole.

Santos, however, finished birdie-birdie to sit top of the pile at the end of a calm, warm day in Doha.

“I just played really well, especially my short game,” said Santos, who became Portugal’s first home winner on The European Tour when he claimed the 2012 Madeira Islands Open – Portugal. “My short game today was really amazing, especially the putts.

“It's really important for me and for Portugal as well. We need to welcome more players and I think was really important to play my first season on the main

Tour (in 2012) and win a tournament, especially in your home country.”

Rose’s day would have been better had it not been for a one-shot penalty on the 17th green, applied for his ball moving after he had grounded his putter.

“Unfortunately I was on the wrong end of it, but that's the good thing about golf, you sort of self-police out there and nobody else saw it in the group,” said the Englishman. “I knew that the ball had moved when I had addressed it.”

  FIRST-ROUND SCOREBOARD
  Par 72
65 R Santos  (Por)

66 A Kaleka  (Fra), P Whiteford (Sco), A Wall (Eng)

67 A Sullivan (Eng), B Rumford (Aus), M Wiegele  (Aut), G Lockerbie  (Eng), S Khan (Eng), C Wood  (Eng)

68 A Hansen (Den), P Hanson (Swe), M Kaymer (Ger), M Campbell (Nzl), J Rose (Eng); M Fraser (Aus), D Horsey (Eng), T Olesen (Den), L Gagli  (Ita), V Dubuisson  (Fra), A Hartø (Den), D McGrane (Ire), R Green (Aus)

69 D Howell (Eng), S Webster (Eng), M Warren (Sco), R Gonzalez (Arg), G Coetzee (RSA), M Manassero (Ita), J Sjöholm (Swe), S Garcia  (Esp), G Fernandez-Castaño  (Esp); S Henry  (Sco), G Mulroy (RSA), F Aguilar (Chi)

70 F Zanotti (Par), T Lewis (Eng), H Stenson (Swe), B Grace (RSA), J Kruger (RSA), B Wiesberger  (Aut), G Havret  (Fra), P Casey (Eng), M Hoey  (NIr), L Slattery (Eng), S Chowrasia (Ind), T Jaidee (Tha)

71 C Lloyd (Eng); J Gonnet  (Fra); G Bourdy (Fra); R Cabrera-Bello (Esp); T Aiken (RSA); S Dyson  (Eng); E Molinari  (Ita); P Meesawat  (Tha); M Foster (Eng); A Noren  (Swe); M Ilonen  (Fin); R Bland (Eng); C Cévaër (Fra); D Fichardt (RSA); T Levet (Fra); E Goya (Arg); O Fisher  (Eng); R Derksen (Ned); S Wakefield (Eng); I Garrido (Esp); L Oosthuizen  (RSA); J Dufner (USA)

72 J Parry (Eng); S Kjeldsen (Den); M Lafeber (Ned); E Kofstad (Nor); C Doak (Sco); C Lee (Sco); A Cañizares  (Esp); T Fleetwood  (Eng); H Otto (RSA); K Horne (RSA); J Walters (RSA); R Wattel  (Fra); T Björn (Den); D Drysdale (Sco); J Edfors (Swe); S Gallacher (Sco); E Els (RSA); P Lawrie (Sco); G Maybin (Nir); J Lara (Esp); J Singh (Ind); M Lundberg (Swe); P Lawrie (Irl); C Montgomerie  (Sco); M Siem  (Ger); M Williams (am) (Eng)

73 P Price (Wal); N Fasth (Swe); P Waring  (Eng); M Baldwin (Eng), J Hansen  (Den); A Tadini (Ita); A Dodt (Aus); G Storm  (Eng); T Hamilton (USA); K Broberg (Swe); R Jacquelin (Fra); P McGinley (Irl)

74 R Goosen (RSA); R Finch  (Eng); R Coles (Eng); J Campillo (Esp); S Jamieson  (Sco); P Erofejeff (Fin)

75 F Andersson Hed (Swe); P Larrazábal (Esp); C Paisley  (Eng); M Kieffer (Ger); D Foos (am) (Ger)

76 M Lampert (Ger); G Al Kuwari (am) (Qat)

77 J Busby (Eng); J Olazábal (Esp); E Grillo (Arg)

78 E Pepperell (Eng)

81 S Al Kaabi (am) (Qat)

83 J Thornton (Eng)