US amateur champion leads the pro stars

EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS

Promising American amateur Bryson DeChambeau stunned the star-studded field at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship as the 22 year old self-professed “golf scientist” moved into the first round lead courtesy of an eight under par 64.

Playing in his first regular European Tour event, the reigning US Amateur Champion carded seven birdies and an eagle en route to taking a one-shot advantage over Swede Henrik Stenson and spoke afterwards of his unorthodox approach to playing the game – all of his irons are the exact same length.

Stenson, meanwhile, gave further credence to the adage “beware the injured golfer” as the current Race to Dubai leader signed for a seven under par 65 in his first competitive round since undergoing surgery on his knee in December.

Four-time Major winner Rory McIlroy was a shot further back alongside South Africa's Branden Grace on six under par, while his American playing partners Jordan Spieth and Rickie Fowler registered rounds of 68 and 70, respectively.

Player quotes:

Bryson DeChambeau

"Today was pretty good. I had no expectations coming into today and just free wheeled it and pretty much hit every fairway and was able to make a couple putts. 

"It's nice to kind of be an intern as an amateur playing professional events. I'm getting used to and getting more comfortable each event. It's fun, a lot of fun being out here.

"My clubs are all single length, same length, same lie angle, same shaft. Just different loft. Same bounce configuration, as well, on each and every one of them. 

"I'm a golfing scientist, in a sense, and I'm trying to analyse and understand each and every aspect of the golf course and the way I played, as well. I'll analyse today and see what I can do better at tomorrow and we'll go from there."

Henrik Stenson

"It's a great start, best start I've had here in years - ever, possibly. I'm happy with the putting and the short irons were really good. A couple of tee shots maybe not so good, but all in all, I kept the score together and played a really good opening round. 

"The knee feels good. I'm hitting shots with no bother and walking is really the issue. But not so much for the knee; more for the foot and the hip I would say.
"I made Dubai my home for almost ten years and feel very comfortable in this part of the world. I played some great golf, so it would mean a lot to win.
"I came very close, especially the first edition of the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship in 2006. I think I lost out by a shot to Chris DiMarco. It would be nice to get this one and get the full circle."
Rory McIlroy
"It's a great way to start the year. I felt in practice last week in Dubai that I was swinging well and I really came back mentally refreshed and really excited to play again.

"I think that showed out there today. I was really excited to get going, especially playing in a group like that, first round of the year. So couldn't be happier.

"I've played well here. Just haven't been able to get the victory. Hopefully I can change that this year, and to start with a win here to start the season would be fantastic. So fingers crossed I can play like that over the next three days.

"It really does make it extra special playing with those guys. I said yesterday, the field that they are able to assemble this year, it gives the start of the year - especially for me, in my first round of the year - that something extra.

"I've experienced it in the past with Rickie last year, with Tiger a couple of times in previous years, and instead of maybe a quiet first nine holes and trying to play your way into it, you're sort of concentrating right from the get-go. So it's a nice way to focus the mind and get down to it."

Branden Grace

“It was a good round. I started off strong. My ball-striking coming into the week wasn't the best, so I did a lot of hard work on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, trying to get the game in pretty decent shape.

"Today was something different. I hit the ball good from tee-to-green. I had a couple of bad swings, lost concentration around the turn, but those things happen. And on a golf course like this, anything four under and better is a great score out here."

Jordan Spieth

"I didn't drive the ball well, which is really the key out here. So to shoot four-under with the way I felt with my driver is spectacular. I'm very pleased with that. I need to play the par fives better. I had 85 yards into two of them, played them one over on our back nine, the front nine, and that's a perfect number for me. I'm normally looking to make a four.
"I feel like I scrambled pretty well for the majority of the round, and then a couple wedge shots just really hurt me from making it a great round.

"The course was just in such spectacular shape. You have to be in the fairway, it's so difficult to advance the ball out of this rough, and then the greens are rolling about as pure as any I've ever putted on. It's a beautiful golf course. It's a great place to start the year, and you know, given a short week coming over from the States, I'm okay with a four-under to start and I'm going to try and improve each round."

SCOTSWATCH. The Scots in the field had scores ranging from 70s by America-based Russell Knox and Scott Jamieson (tied 29) to 77 by Paul Lawrie (T117) and 81 by Stephen Gallacher. 
Richie Ramsay had a 73, Craig Lee and Marc Warren 74s.

FIRST-ROUND SCORES
par 72

64 B DeChambeau (am) (USA)
65 H Stenson (Swe)
66 B Grace  (RSA) , R McIlroy  (Nir)
67 R Bland (Eng) , A Sullivan (Eng)
68 N Fasth (Swe) , J Spieth  (USA) , T Bjørn (Den) , D Howell (Eng) , M Fitzpatrick  (Eng) ,
69 T Pieters  (Bel) , G Coetzee (RSA) , B An (Kor) , S Dyson  (Eng) , W Ashun (Chn) , M Kaymer (Ger) , P Hanson (Swe) , J Luiten (Ned) , T Fisher Jnr (RSA) , P Edberg (Swe) , M Baldwin (Eng) , M Korhonen (Fin) , W Ormsby (Aus) , J Carlsson (Swe) , R Paratore (Ita) , D Brooks (Eng) , S Kjeldsen (Den) ,
70 E Pepperell (Eng) , V Dubuisson  (Fra) , A Levy (Fra) , R Rock (Eng) , M Lorenzo-Vera  (Fra) , R Knox (Sco) , F Zanotti (Par) , R Cabrera-Bello (Esp) , K Aphibarnrat (Tha) , J Lagergren (Swe) , I Poulter (Eng) , R Fowler  (USA) , A Dodt (Aus) , B Evans  (Eng) , A Johnston (Eng) , P Larrazábal (Esp) , S Jamieson  (Sco) , R Fisher (Eng) ,
71 M Ilonen  (Fin) , T Jaidee (Tha) , D Drysdale (Sco) , A Cañizares  (Esp) , M Kinhult (Swe) , J Walters (RSA) , M Kieffer (Ger) , D Horsey (Eng) , M Carlsson  (Swe) , B Hebert  (Fra) , W Liang (Chn) , T Olesen (Den)
72 T Hatton (Eng) , R Gouveia (Por) , S Hend (Aus) , B Wiesberger  (Aut) , M Siem  (Ger) , M Hoey  (Nir) , R Kakko  (Fin) , O Fisher  (Eng) , N Elvira  (Esp) , M Manassero (Ita) , G Havret  (Fra) , B Åkesson (Swe) , F Aguilar (Chi) , J Morrison  (Eng) , M Madsen  (Den) , L Slattery (Eng) , D Lipsky (USA) , J Parry (Eng) , G Bourdy (Fra) , B Dredge (Wal) , P Meesawat  (Tha) , E De La Riva  (Esp) , T Fleetwood  (Eng) , B Virto Astudillo (Esp) , S Gros (Fra) , A Noren  (Swe) , P Uihlein  (USA) ,
73 H Porteous (RSA) , E Els (RSA) , D Clarke (Nir) , C Paisley  (Eng) , R Dinwiddie  (Eng) , R Ramsay  (Sco) , M Ford (Eng) , R Wattel  (Fra) , J Quesne  (Fra) , J Campillo (Esp) , B Stone (RSA) , L Westwood (Eng) , B Rumford (Aus) , G Stal  (Fra) , K Broberg (Swe) , S Khan (Eng) ,
74 M Fraser (Aus) , G Storm  (Eng) , M Warren (Sco) , R Karlberg  (Swe) , C Lee (Sco) , T Immelman  (RSA) , S Kapur (Ind) , N Colsaerts  (Bel) , H Otto (RSA) ,
75 D Willett  (Eng) , L Bjerregaard  (Den) , D Im (USA) , S Webster (Eng) , A Quiros  (Esp)
76 C Wood  (Eng)
77 O Wilson (Eng) , P Lawrie (Sco) , R Jacquelin (Fra)
78 N Holman  (Aus) , R Karlsson (Swe)
79 E Espana (Fra)
80 M Weir (Can) ,
81 S Gallacher (Sco)
82 J Jeong (SKor) ,
83 A Al Musharrekh (Uae) ,