schwartel leads in abu dhabi
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Charl Schwartzel continued his phenomenal start to the 2011 Race to Dubai to claim the first round lead at Abu Dhabi Golf Club.
Four days after retaining the Joburg Open, the South African shot 64 at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship and is now a staggering 69 under for his last 17 rounds.
He was eight under after 12 holes, but bogeyed the 17th before picking up another birdie at the par five 18th.
“I went out and got off to a really good start,” said Schwartzel. “I’ve been struggling with my game, with my swing, for a while. Around a golf course like this, it’s not best thing to be doing that.
“It just worked well today – drove the ball well and gave myself lots of opportunities and converted most of my chances, just a really solid round.”
Schwartzel has now been runner-up and had two fourth-place finishes in the first four European Tour events of the season.
“The sky’s the limit, really,” said Schwartzel, when asked about his brilliant form. “If you really put your mind to it, to be realistic, my goal is to see if I can get in the top ten in the world.
“I feel I’m a good enough player to be in the top ten in the world. I don’t like to think too far ahead, sort of play with each week what it gives you.
“Weeks like this where you’ve got a strong field, if you win the right week, you can jump the World Rankings quite a lot.”
One behind is Padraig Harrington, emerging from a winter when he made yet more changes to his golf game.
But that did not stop him carding a seven under par 65 in his first event of the season.
Harrington, without a European Tour victory since the 2008 US PGA Championship, had set the early pace helped by the luck of the Irish on the long eighth, his 17th.
The 39 year old’s chip for eagle hit the flag at speed and dropped in.
“It was a shock it went in at that pace,” he admitted.
Lying third after rounds of 66 were Swedes Alexander Noren and Niclas Fasth and US Open Champion and Ryder Cup hero Graeme McDowell, who in a spectacular run birdied the last five holes for an inward 30.
