DOHA: In-form pair Patrick Reed and Daniel Hillier surged to the top of the leaderboard with matching opening-round 65s to sit seven under par after day one.
Reed, fresh off a win and a play-off loss in his previous two starts, fired nine birdies despite two bogeys. Hillier matched him in style, carding six birdies and an eagle with just one dropped shot.
The New Zealander credited his impressive start to the season — which includes four top-six finishes in five events — to a well-timed break. “Just giving myself a good bit of time off over the break,” Hillier said.
“I think when my head’s in a good spot, that’s when I play my best golf, and I’ve learnt that sometimes less is more. I’ve just been enjoying the summer back home and came out refreshed, ready to go, and excited to compete again.”
Pádraig Harrington marked a major milestone by making his 500th DP World Tour appearance, celebrating the occasion with a one-under-par 71 that included two birdies.
In his post-round interview, Harrington was shown footage from his debut at the 1995 European Open, prompting a typically wry reaction. “Oh my God,” he laughed as the clip played. “Oh, it was a layup, thankfully! God, that was an aggressive layup, wasn’t it?”
