Lawrie poised for another good event after weathering storm

“You couldn’t see very far and I have sand in places I didn’t know I had, but I’ve played in a lot tougher conditions in Aberdeen,” declared the former Open champion after a three-under-par 69 in Doha.

It left him in a tie for fifth place, three behind pacesetter Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano of Spain and two behind his fellow Claret Jug winner John Daly.

Starting at the tenth, Lawrie bagged four birdies in his first five holes as he maintained the good form that has earned him three successive top-10 finishes – one at the end of last season and the other two at the start of his 2012 campaign.

“I played lovely and hit some really nice shots. But me being a moaning-faced person, I feel I should have been less. I missed a couple of short putts,” added the 43-year-old.

“I played the first five holes in flat calm but then the wind got up from nowhere. The sand was causing a bit of a hassle. It was hard to stand still when you are being buffeted about. Three and four-footers aren’t easy, so overall it’s a good score.”

Lawrie, who won this event in 1999, the same year he became Open champion at Carnoustie, is pleased to have come flying out of the blocks this season, especially on the back of his second-placed finish in the Dubai World Championship in December.

“It was important to come out at the start of the year and try to pick up where I had left off,” he admitted. “I’ve more or less done that, though I was a little bit disappointed to finish poorly last week (in Abu Dhabi) and only get an eighth.

“It is quite nice when you are disappointed to finish eighth as that means you are obviously playing well. I’ve had a few good weeks here and I always feel comfortable playing in the wind. I haven’t won too many times and it’s always nice to come back to a place where you have managed to do that.”

The Aberdonian was the only player in a nine-strong Scottish contingent to beat par on a difficult opening day in Doha.

Marc Warren is tied for 36th after a 72, one fewer than Stephen Gallacher, who finished bogey-bogey, David Drysdale and Scott Jamieson, the latter having picked up shots at two of his final three holes.

Three-under with six to play, George Murray shed six shots to finish with a 75, three fewer than fellow Fifer Peter Whiteford, while others to suffer late collapses included Richie Ramsay and Colin Montgomerie.

Ramsay, who shot a ten-under 62 to win the Emirates Invitational Pro-Am at Yas Links in Abu Dhabi earlier in the week, finished double-bogey, bogey for a 76, the same score Montgomerie signed for after limping home in 40.

Fernandez-Castano birdied the last three holes to deny Daly, the world No 543, the overnight lead after what the American called a “brutal” day. Thomas Bjorn, the defending champion, slumped to a 79 and Ryder Cup players Ross Fisher and Henrik Stenson both failed to break 80.

It was in a strong wind that Daly won the 1995 Open at St Andrews, but he did not expect his encouraging start. “I’m pretty shocked,” Daly said after keeping a bogey off his card. “I had five-and-a-half weeks off and really didn’t touch a club much.

“It’s one of the best rounds I’ve ever played in a wind like that. You feel like you are eating a lot of sand.”