World’s-best golfers greeted by blue Abu Dhabi skies

From a spectator’s standpoint, day one of a championship offers the opportunity to have a virtually intimate experience with the players, as galleries tend be light in the early going. You can literally brush shoulders with these golfing greats as they move about the course, and you can get close enough to listen in to the brief but sometimes colorful dialogue that can take place between player and caddy.

The Abu Dhabi club is an ideal course for a spectator. The layout is easy to navigate and there are excellent vantage points throughout the course.

AME Info watched a few players make their way through the par-three 7th hole, which is offering a prize of a room-for-life at the Emirates Palace hotel for any participant who makes a hole-in-one. Not surprisingly, we didn’t see any aces on the hole, which is guarded by water and is intimidating from the tee.

Much has been made about the rough being more difficult at this year’s tournament, and we can attest that players who miss the fairway will face a gnarly thicket of grass. Indeed, the heavy rains have no doubt made the rough more severe than the organizers had planned, and it will be interesting to see if the scores are higher as a result.

Although the rough will be penal, the fairways and greens are in immaculate condition, and no one should be surprised if one of these golfers shoots lights-out over the weekend.

Every year, players keep getting stronger and scores keep going lower. Nowhere is this more evident than on the tee, where the big-hitters are able to bomb their drives well over three-hundred yards. Even a tee-shot hit dead-straight can disappear from sight simply because the players can hammer the ball such great distances.

Stenson takes early lead

In early action during the first round, Dubai-resident Henrik Stenson has fired a five-under 67 to take the early lead. Clearly he is comfortable playing on his home turf. Last year he was victorious at the Dubai Desert Classic, holding off the likes of Ernie Els and world number one Tiger Woods. It would be no surprise to see him in the final group on Sunday.

The early going has not been so kind for defending champion Paul Casey. He shot an opening round 75, playing in the same group as Stenson. The third-member of this star-studded group, defending British-Open champion Padraig Harrington, finished with an even par 72.

Obviously there is a long way to go and much can change over the weekend, but one thing to be sure of is that the spectators and golfers alike will be treated to a top-notch golf championship.