KUUMAR SHYAM (ABU DHABI)
A rejuvenated Richard Sterne rolled back the years with a flawless opening round to share a five-way lead after the opening day of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship, as a crowded leaderboard set up a fascinating weekend at the Yas Links course.
The South African, chasing his first title since 2013, was among five players tied at the top after carding a seven-under 65. Sterne’s six DP World Tour titles came between 2004 and 2013, but chronic hip issues derailed his progress, leaving him sidelined for long stretches and often questioning whether he would ever return to elite form.
His first nine holes saw him go seven under before his red-hot form fizzled out at the back. “I think I have scored a 29 on the front nine only once before in my career,” Sterne, 42, said. “I’ve been consistent with the hitting but the short game has been not. Today I made more than a couple on the closer ones. The scoring was pretty quick and easy on the front nine when it goes that way.”
Sterne was joined by another in-form player Adrien Saddier, who produced a near-perfect round of ball-striking, hitting every fairway and missing only one green. “It was a good day,” said the Frenchman, who sits the highest among the leaders at fifth in the top-10 of the Race to Dubai standings. “I didn’t miss any fairway, hit just one green. So just a perfect start to the week,” Saddier said.
Saddier’s hot streak included seven birdies in nine holes, a surge that briefly separated him from the pack before the wind picked up in the afternoon. “It was a lot of good shots and a lot of good putts that went in,” he said. “It wasn’t easy on the last few holes with the wind coming off the left, but that’s golf – you play with it and try to enjoy the challenge.”
Just one shot off the pace was Sweden’s Alex Noren, who closed with a 66 to sit among the group in second. The world No. 26 and 5th-ranked player in the season-long order of merit said the result reflected hours of recent work on his swing and putting.
“I was a little worried coming into the week because I didn’t hit it as good as I wanted,” Noren admitted. “I spent a lot of time with my coach and putting coach these last few days, and I think it paid off. I tried to be more neutral in every part of the game, and the bad shots were a little straighter, which really helped when the wind picked up.”
Noren, who finished fifth here last year, added that Yas Links remains one of his favourite venues. “It’s a beautiful place, in unbelievable shape and fun to play, especially when it’s windy like this. Some shots are tough and interesting, and I think we’re blessed to play tournaments on courses like this.”
Race to Dubai leader Rory McIlroy opened with a two-under 70, describing it as a round that “could have been a lot better”. A title in the emirate has eluded the seven-time winner in Dubai with four runner-up and five third place finishes in 11 starts.
Despite all this, he chose to experiment with a new driver. It was his putter which let him down, though. “I gave myself a lot of chances on the back nine and just didn’t convert,” said the Northern Irishman. “I felt like I drove it well – new driver in the bag this week – and controlled the ball nicely in the wind. I just needed to hole a few more putts. That was the difference between being two under and being up there around the lead.”
McIlroy, a four-time major champion, remained optimistic about his chances heading into the second round. “Hopefully that’s my bad round out of the way. There are three more to take it lower.”
With Sterne showing flashes of his old brilliance and a cluster of contenders within touching distance, the stage is set for another tight finish in Abu Dhabi.