Former champions Henrik Stenson and Andrew Coltart share a slender one-stroke lead at the Qatar Masters with Miguel Angel Jimenez after the opening round in Doha.
World number 11 Stenson, the runner-up last year following his 2006 triumph, took advantage of calmer morning conditions to set the pace with a six-under-par 66.
Inaugural Qatar champion Coltart, fresh from winning back his Tour card at Q-School, and a bogey-free Jimenez were able to match the Swede as they tamed the windy afternoon conditions at the traditionally-testing Doha Golf Club.
The Spanish Ryder Cup player, who was battling a thumb injury suffered while skiing - which was restricting his driving, had a chance to claim the outright overnight lead but missed an eight-foot birdie putt at the last.
English duo Lee Westwood and Robert Dinwiddie, Joburg Open winner Anders Hansen, Australia's Brett Rumford and Abu Dhabi runner-up Louis Oosthuizen share fourth place at five under.
After missing the cut last week in Abu Dhabi, Dubai resident Stenson picked up four shots in eight holes around the turn to make his move before finishing with back-to-back birdies.
"I maybe didn't play my best, but I took my chances and I was putting really well. It comes down to the putting and I made some good 10-15 footers," said the 32-year-old.
"It wasn't the start I hoped for last week, but there is always going to be a couple of bad ones in a season, but obviously I am happy to be in this position and going forward.
"It's a course I really enjoy playing. I think it's the ninth time coming to Qatar so I have a fair idea how to play the course."
After starting on the back nine, Coltart reached the turn in four under courtesy of an eagle two after driving the 16th.
And despite dropping his only shot at the sixth after three-putting the green, three birdies - including one at the last - kept the Scot at the top of the leaderboard.
"I have good memories in Qatar. I have managed to make the odd birdie around this course but I have also had the odd disaster when it has been pretty windy," said Coltart.
"The eagle at 16 was the highlight as I was able to drive the green to 10 feet and hole the putt. I had a good birdie at 12, which was a 25-footer across the green. I was also giving myself the birdie chances; there were four more inside 10 feet, which was quite pleasing as the wind was getting quite tricky."
Adam Scott's title defence did not get off to the best start as the Australian world number 14 signed for a one-over 73, although he had been unable to practise on Wednesday after his clubs were delayed in transit.
Collated first round scores in the European Tour Commercialbank Qatar Masters Presented by Dolphin Energy, Doha GC, Doha, Qatar
(Gbr & Irl unless stated, par: 72):
66 Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa), Andrew Coltart, Henrik Stenson (Swe)
67 Brett Rumford (Aus), Anders Hansen (Den), Robert Dinwiddie, Louis Oosthuizen (Rsa), Lee Westwood
68 Robert Karlsson (Swe), Aaron Baddeley (Aus), Jarmo Sandelin (Swe), Nick Dougherty, Maarten Lafeber (Ned), Paul Broadhurst
69 Damien McGrane, Charl Schwartzel (Rsa), Oliver Wilson, Peter Hedblom (Swe), Alvaro Quiros (Spa), Retief Goosen (Rsa), Chapchai Nirat (Tha), Gonzalo Fdez-Castano (Spa)
70 Jeev Milkha Singh (Ind), Rodney Pampling (Aus), Sergio Garcia (Spa), David Lynn, Andrew McLardy (Rsa), Seve Benson, Magnus A Carlsson (Swe), Anthony Wall, Stephen Dodd, Thomas Bjorn (Den), David Dixon, Ernie Els (Rsa), Niclas Fasth (Swe), Jamie Donaldson, Markus Brier (Aut)
71 Robert Jan Derksen (Ned), Mikko Ilonen (Fin), Ross Fisher, Martin Kaymer (Ger), Oliver Fisher, Gregory Havret (Fra), Anton Haig (Rsa), David Howell, Colin Montgomerie, Raphael Jacquelin (Fra), Gary Murphy, Phillip Archer, Jean-Francois Lucquin (Fra), Emanuele Canonica (Ita), Thomas Levet (Fra), Jyoti Randhawa (Ind)
72 Francesco Molinari (Ita), Mikael Lundberg (Swe), Soren Hansen (Den), Soren Kjeldsen (Den), Peter Lawrie, Simon Dyson, Johan Edfors (Swe), Graeme Storm, Peter Hanson (Swe), Alexander Noren (Swe), Prayad Marksaeng (Tha), Michael Lorenzo-Vera (Fra), Steve Webster, Shiv Kapur (Ind), Marcel Siem (Ger), Scott Strange (Aus), Mark Brown (USA), Rolf Muntz (Ned), Stephen Gallacher, Paul Lawrie, Brandt Snedeker (USA)
73 Hennie Otto (Rsa), Adam Scott (Aus), Joakim Haeggman (Swe), Danny Willett, Mads Vibe-Hastrup (Den), Darren Clarke, John Bickerton, Pablo Larrazabal (Spa), Richard Finch, Richard Green (Aus), Gregory Bourdy (Fra), Mark Foster, Ross McGowan
74 James Kingston (Rsa), Per-Ulrik Johansson (Swe), Pelle Edberg (Swe), Felipe Aguilar (Chi), Daniel Vancsik (Arg), Justin Rose, Boo Weekley (USA), Ignacio Garrido (Spa), Bradley Dredge
75 Scott Drummond, Ricardo Gonzalez (Arg), Kenneth Ferrie, Shiv Shankar Prasad Chowrasia (Ind), Jose Manuel Lara (Spa), Lee Slattery, Alastair Forsyth, Pablo Martin (Spa)
76 Paul Casey, Rory McIlroy, Alvaro Velasco (Spa), Martin Erlandsson (Swe), Michael Jonzon (Swe), Paul McGinley, Thongchai Jaidee (Tha)
77 Christian Cevaer (Fra), Rafael Echenique (Arg), Ariel Canete (Arg), Simon Hurd
78 Gary Orr, Miles Tunnicliff, Simon Wakefield
81 Max Williams
RTD: Michael Campbell (Nzl)
Bills sign OT Scott; LT Peters misses practice
COLTART KEEN TO GET BACK ON TRACK
