Shane Lowry is within touching distance of the leaders after the first day's play at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.
The 2019 Open Champion is five-under-par after a 67, which included six birdies and a solitary bogey.
That leaves him four shots adrift of leader Scott Jamieson, who is out on front on nine-under.
The highlight was a deft chip on the 15th, which was Lowry's sixth birdie of the day.
Trademark @ShaneLowryGolf 😍
He moves to -5. #ADGolfChamps | #RolexSeries pic.twitter.com/gJNMllMhPJ— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) January 20, 2022
He's best of the Irish, with the remainder of the contingent failing to ignite.
Padraig Harrington shot a one-over 73, while Jonathan Caldwell was three-over through 15 before play was suspended due to fading light.
Rory McIlroy is level par, after what he described as a 'frustrating' first round.
He mixed four bogeys with four birdies to end with a 72.
"It was a frustrating finish to a frustrating day," he said, following a bogey six at the par-five 18th.
"I actually felt like I hit the ball okay as I started off hitting some nice shots and I missed a few chances early.
"I struggled to read the greens, if anything, as I felt like I hit some good putts that just didn't go in and that putt on the last was the story of the day.
"I felt I had started it online with good speed and it just didn't do what I thought it was going to do.
"So, hopefully, I can start hitting good putts and they start to drop."
Viktor Hovland - the Norweigan who impressed at last year's Ryder Cup - is well-placed in second on eight-under.
Another European team member, Ian Poulter, is in a good position despite a disappointing finish.
He had got to eight-under before a double-bogey on the par-four 16th, before finishing with two pars for a 66.
