Bob MacIntyre on his 'great day's work' alongside Abu Dhabi leader Tommy Fleetwood

Bob MacIntyre watched playing partner Tommy Fleetwood set the pace in a low-scoring first round but was equally happy with his own start in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.

On a Yas Links course that was pretty much defenceless, two-time winner Fleetwood burst out of the blocks to post a course record-equalling ten-under-par 62 and lead by one from Dane Thorbjorn Olesen and American Johannes Veerman.

Containing an eagle and eight birdies, it was an impressive effort in the first of two season-ending Play-Off events on the DP World Tour from Fleetwood, who started his year by winning the Dubai Invitational at Dubai Creek.

“Only equalling the course record?” said a surprised Fleetwood before it was pointed out to him that Finland’s Sami Valimaki had also signed for a ten-under-par score in last year’s event.

Bob MacIntyre splashes out of a bunker in the opening round of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship at Yas Links. | Richard Heathcote/Getty Images

The Englishman has a new putter in the bag this week and was spotted getting some advice from Ken Brown and David Howell, who are both on commentating duties for Sky Sports, earlier in the week.

“We had a really nice discussion about putting,” said Fleetwood with a smile. “Obviously I've worked with Phil Kenyon for a long time. He's an unbelievably good putting coach and, even though it doesn’t always show, I always feel like I'm a good putter. It doesn't always show.

“But definitely sort of the second half of this year, l haven't putted as well or converted as many putts as we'd have liked. We've been working on that and I happened to bump into Ken and Howler on the course and we were talking about a couple of things. Working on sort of how I move my head in my stroke in a couple of practise drills and what happens there.

“They are two of the best putters I've ever met and any time you're talking to those guys, you're always going to pick something up.”

On a day when Race to Dubai leader Rory McIlroy opened with a 67, MacIntyre carded nine birdies, including four in a row from the tenth, to sit just three shots off the pace in joint-eighth.

“A couple of silly mistakes but you're going to have them,” said the Oban man, who sits ninth in the Race to Dubai and will record his best season on the DP World Tour if he can improve on that position. “You're going to have a lapse of concentration now and again but, overall, great day's work.”

In a 70-strong field, 63 players finished the day under par and, with the wind not expected to blow more than 15mph over the next three days, MacIntyre was asked what he felt the greenkeepers could do to toughen up the test.

“Yeah, don't water as much,” he said. “I mean, if that place gets firm and fast. Fairways are reasonably generous anyway but, wow, you could get them greens sneaky fast.”

The Genesis Scottish Open champion will bring down his 2024 DP World Tour campaign in next week’s season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai before heading to the Bahamas early next month for a debut appearance in the Hero World Challenge.

Leader Tommy Fleetwood laughs about something playing partner Bob MacIntyre has to say at Yas Links. | Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images

“Just try and play well,” he replied to being asked about his goal between now and a Christmas break. “My game has been good all year. Just try and keep building on it. Here to try to win golf tournaments against great players and the scores today shows that the level is so high.”

BMW International Open champion Ewen Ferguson fared next best among the Scots with a 68, three shots better than Connor Syme, while Grant Forrest and Calum Hill opened with 73 and 76 respectively.

South African Thriston Lawrence, McIlroy’s closest challenge in the Race to Dubai points list, matched the Northern Irishman’s first-day effort while third-placed Rasmus Hojgaard was pleased with his 65.

In the projected rankings, McIlroy is still on course to land the Harry Vardon Trophy for a sixth time, with Fleetwood up to second ahead of Lawrence and Hojgaard.