Fleetwod and Lowry lift each other into Abu Dhabi lead / Photo: © AFP
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Fleetwod and Lowry lift each other into Abu Dhabi lead
Friends Tommy Fleetwood and Shane Lowry shared the lead in the Abu Dhabi Championship after they were paired together on Thursday and both shot eight-under-par opening rounds of 64.
The pair shared the lead with New Zealander Kazuma Kobori, South African Richard Sterne and Frenchman Adrien Saddier at the start of the last event of the DP Tour before the season-ending World Championship in Dubai.
Lowry and Fleetwood, both previous winners of the event, were drawn in a group that also included a third Ryder Cup player Rasmus Hojgaard.
"It was nice," said Lowry. "I was pretty excited when I saw the group, my pairing today, and it was nice to go out there with the boys."
Fleetwood carded eight birdies and no bogeys, while Lowry fired nine birdies and dropped a single shot.
"Something about me and Tommy," the Irishman added. "I just like playing with him, your friend, and really good player too.
"And you kind of feed off each other. It was nice."
Fleetwood agreed.
"I'm so close to both the guys, Ryder Cup team-mates, played with Rasmus, who I'm close with last week. It was great," the Englishman said.
"You focus on your own game," he added. "It shouldn't make that much difference but definitely when you're in a comfortable pairing or group it's nice. It's helpful."
Dane Hojgaard ended the round in a chasing pack of seven one shot off the lead.
Another Ryder Cup player Ludvig Aberg made a hole-in-one on the par-three eighth and finished the day two shots back.
J.Fankhauser--BTB