China’s Liang Wen-chong set a blistering pace during his opening round at the eagerly anticipated Dubai World Championship presented by: DP World.
Liang, 57th on the money list and 85th in the world, raced to the turn at the new Greg Norman-designed Earth course in a four under par 32.
And when he added a fifth birdie at the 476 yard 12th Liang led by two from France's Grégory Bourdy, who qualified for the tournament by winning the UBS Hong Kong Open on Sunday.
Most attention is on the quartet striving for The European Tour Number One title and a bonus of over €1 million, but in the first round the pairings were done in reverse order.
That meant current leader Rory McIlroy and Lee Westwood formed the last group just behind Martin Kaymer and Ross Fisher.
McIlroy, Westwood and Kaymer would all take the Order of Merit by taking the tournament title, while 20 year old McIlroy will be crowned the youngest winner since Seve Ballesteros lifted it at 19 in 1976 if Westwood finishes outside the top seven, Kaymer the top four and Fisher the top two.
Lying joint third at two under were England’s Chris Wood, Spaniard Rafael Cabrera-Bello, South African Thomas Aiken and Colombian Camilo Villegas.
Luke Donald, playing for the first time since further surgery on his troublesome right wrist last month, turned in 34, but slipped back to one under with a bogey on the 401 yard 11th.
Liang finished with a four under par 68 but was joined in the clubhouse lead when South African Thomas Aiken had four birdies - and a bogey - in the last five holes.
Out on the course Cabrera-Bello, who shot a closing 60 to win the Austrian Golf Open in September, was on the same mark with eight to go, while Villegas was joined on three under by Australian Adam Scott and Aiken's fellow countryman Charl Schwartzel.
