Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell fired a five-under-par 67 on Thursday for a two-shot lead as Adam Scott enjoyed a steady start in the HSBC Champions event in Shanghai.
Starting on the 10th, McDowell scorched through his first 12 holes in seven-under at the Sheshan International course.
Rickie Fowler also made a fast start before he settled down. Fowler had a 69, along with fellow Americans Brandt Snedeker and Chris Kirk, South African Tim Clark, England’s Tommy Fleetwood and this year’s US Open champion Martin Kaymer.
Australian Scott and Swede Henrik Stenson were among those another shot behind.
Scott birdied the last hole for his two-under first-round score.
Compatriot Marc Leishman finished the day at even while John Senden was one over.
Despite two bogeys coming in, McDowell was pleased with his opening round.
“A big key to this golf course is driving the ball well,” McDowell told reporters.
“I drove it very well today. I think I missed only one fairway, which is very important – set up a few opportunities. The greens are in fantastic shape and I putted very well.
“So seven-under-par through 12 holes was a beautiful start. Dropped a couple coming in but, all in all, very pleased with five-under-par on what I thought was a reasonably tricky day.”
Kaymer, the German world No.13, thought he had shot a very good score.
“So even when I was at one point level-par today, I just kept telling myself ‘you will have plenty of birdie chances, so you just need to be patient’.”
Fowler described the rough as very rough.
“I drove the ball well today and hit a lot of fairways. I think I only missed two. That made things a lot easier for me out there.
“I was able to stay in the short grass today,” said Fowler, who finished in the top five of every major championship in 2014.
McDowell, the 2010 US Open champion, lies 16th on the European Tour’s Race to Dubai and needs a high finish in the $US8.5 million ($A9.2 million) Shanghai event to get a shot at a $US5 million ($A5.4 million) bonus pool for the top 15 players after the season-ending DP World Tour Championship in a fortnight.
The wind switched on Thursday and blew harder than on the practice days. With narrow fairways and lush, punishing rough after nearly a week of rain in the city, it all meant only seven players broke 70 on the par-72, 7261-yard course.
“This is as tough off the tee as I think I’ve ever seen this golf course,” McDowell added. “If we get three more days of this, I don’t think sort of 10-under, 12-under par is going to get beat out there.”
