Adam Scott has opened up his 2024 campaign with a round of typically enduring quality in the Dubai Desert Classic - but the evergreen Australian star might even have been joint-leader after the first 18 holes with a little more luck.
Scott, now 43 but still featuring in the world's top 50, opened up with a three-under-par 69 at Emirates Golf Course on Thursday, just a couple off the lead which was being shared by China's Li Haotong, England's Andy Sullivan, Dane Rasmus Hojgaard and American Cameron Young.
Yet the former Master could even have ended alongside the four pacesetters if his brilliant approach from the rough on the par-four 12th had found the hole for an eagle two, instead of ricocheting off the pin and settling some eight feet away, from where he missed his birdie putt.
"I finished last year playing well and I feel good about my game, but it would be nice to get off to a good start ... I'm shooting for big things still," Scott had mused on the eve of the tournament - and he got his wish with a round featuring four birdies and just one early blemish, a bogey five at the second hole.
Now in his 25th season as a professional, Scott smiled that he was used to finding his way around a tough course, and showed why as he joined a log-jam of 21 quality players all within two shots of the lead.
Tournament favourite Rory McIlroy, though, slipped up, bogeying three of his last four holes to end up with a 71 after he'd looked set to lead the way while British Open champ Brian Harman finished bogey-par-double bogey to close on the same score.
Still, they were only four shots off the summit of one of the European tour's biggest events when play was suspended because it was too dark.
Young had a spectacular end to his round, birdieing the 16th and 17th before rolling in a 60-foot eagle putt from off the green at the par-five 18th.
McIlroy, a three-time winner, is coming off a second place at last week's Dubai Invitational behind Tommy Fleetwood, and will have been frustrated by his poor ending after he birdied five of his first 11 holes.
Last week's winner Fleetwood was alongside Scott on 69, but there was disappointment for the other Australian entrant, Jason Scrivener, who could only open with a two-over 74.
