Golf: Laing left nine shots off the pace as final tournament opens in Dubai

Laing, who has had two second places and five top tens in her best ever season, is currently lying eighth on the money list with 105,000 and she had a couple of birdies but also dropped six shots in the glorious weather.

Pamela Feggans, who will return to the Ladies' European Tour final qualifying school in Spain next week, birdied her final hole and was the leading Scot on one under par 71.

The Ayrshire 29-year-old started at the tenth and had a great run of four birdies in six holes from the 17th.

But she also had a couple of bogeys and a double-bogey at the short fourth to stand four shots behind the 67 posted by the leader, England's Florentyna Parker.

Krystle Caithness was the next best Scot on 75 with Lynn Kenny and 18-year-old Carly Booth, who also returns to qualifying school next week, all alongside Laing on 76.

Kylie Walker completed the list on 78.

Needing to win the title to claim a record ninth LET Order of Merit title, England's Laura Davies had a disappointing 75. South African Lee-Anne Pace, who headed the list going into this final tournament of the season, stayed ahead with a round of 73.

Parker, a winner of the Dutch Open in June, had half a dozen birdies, five of them in a back nine of 32 and she led by a shot from Russia's Maria Verchenova.