Luke Donald says Yas Links has 'Kingsbarns feel' after stunning start in Abu Dhabi

Luke Donald describes himself as “half Scottish” on the strength of his father having been born in Stranraer and he admitted that feeling as if he was on one of his happy hunting grounds in the home of golf helped fuel a stunning start in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.

“This is a course that suits my eye,” said the 45-year-old of Yas Links after signing for an eight-under par 64, which included a burst of four birdies to finish and nine in total.

“It has a Kingsbarns feel. I’ve played some great rounds there. This is a fun course, one where you are going to hit a lot of fairways and greens. If the putter is ‘on’ as it was for me today, I feel like I can go low. Which I did.”

Donald’s effort in a testing breeze in the UAE on the opening day of the $9 million Rolex Series event earned him a one-shot lead over Italian Guido Migliozzi and Jason Scrivener from Australia.

Luke Donald likened Yas Links to Kingsbarns after settting a hot pace in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. Picture: Warren Little/Getty Images.

Irish duo Seamus Power (66) and Shane Lowry (67) were also quick out of the blocks in the DP World Tour’s first stroke-play round in 2023, with Lowry’s score being matched in the afternoon wave by the Molinari brothers, Edoardo and Francesco.

Donald’s dazzling display came on his return to playing action after overseeing last week’s inaugural Hero Cup at Abu Dhabi in preparation for his Ryder Cup captaincy in Rome in September.

“I never think it’s bad to be surrounded by a lot of good players,” admitted the former world No 1. The competitiveness of last week was inspiring. The guys all played their hearts out. They really wanted to win. And both teams wanted to beat each other. All of that rubbed off on me a little.”

Donald, who started working with Jamie Gough, brother of former Rangers and Scotland captain Richard, towards the end of last year, smiled when it was suggested that form like this could put him in the running to be a plating captain in Italy. “1975, I think, the last time that happened,” he replied to that. “No, we are a long way from that.”

On his 32nd birthday, Tommy Fleetwood carded a 68, the same score as leading LIV Golf player Henrik Stenson.