Dubai, United Arab Emirates (SportsNetwork.com) – Bernd Wiesberger used a
string of birdies down the stretch on Thursday to shoot a first-round, 8-under
64 and he holds a 1-shot lead in front of some big names at the Omega Dubai
Desert Classic.
Wiesberger has won two times in his career on the European Tour, both of which
came in 2012 at the Ballantine’s Championship and the Lyoness Open. The 29-
year-old also played his way into the final pairing at last year’s PGA
Championship, where he wound up finishing tied for 15th.
Lee Westwood, a 23-time winner on tour, finished the first round with a 7-
under 65 on the Majlis Course at Emirates Golf Club and he is tied for second
with this year’s South African Open Championship winner Andy Sullivan,
American Peter Uihlein and Nicolas Colsaerts.
World No. 1 Rory McIlroy, the 2009 champion, is just two shots back of the
leader Wiesberger. McIlroy is tied for sixth at 6-under 66 with two-time
defending champion and fellow European Ryder Cup team member Stephen
Gallacher, Maximilian Kieffer, Anders Hansen, Seve Benson, Hennie Otto and
Marc Warren.
After his collapse at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship two weeks ago,
Martin Kaymer rebounded with a 5-under 67 and he is tied for 13th with six
others.
MORE TO FOLLOW.
