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Stenson soars, Grace in the mix in Abu Dhabi

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ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - JANUARY 18: Henrik Stenson of Sweden tees off on the 4th hole during the Pro-Am ahead of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship at Abu Dhabi Golf Club on January 18, 2017 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Matthew Lewis/Getty Images)
  • Post published:January 19, 2017

Henrik Stenson flew around Abu Dhabi Golf Club in 64 strokes on Thursday to lead his first tournament back since the festive break.

The ‘Super Swede’ was eight under par for round one of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and two strokes clear of a four-way tie for second place held by Martin Kaymer, Oliver Fisher, Marc Warren, and Kiradech Aphibarnrat.

Stenson won the Race to Dubai in 2016 and started the new campaign on a similar note with a  30-stroke opening nine in the desert on Thursday, having teed off on the 10th.

He made six pars after that, which battered his chances of breaking his own course record of 62, but he birdied two of the last three holes to make the clubhouse on eight under par.

Branden Grace, fresh off a tied-13th finish at the Sony Open in Hawaii last week, posted a four under par 68 to share seventh place on day one. The top-ranked South African made bogey at the third hole, but that was his only mistake in a solid round.

Further down the leaderboard were countrymen Trevor Fisher Jnr, Thomas Aiken, and Jaco van Zyl, all of whom posted morning rounds of 71 for an early share of 32nd place.