‘Perfect start’ for Rose earns share of the lead in Abu Dhabi

After McIlroy struggled to a 75 with his new Nike equipment and Woods began his season with a real mixed bag of a 72, Rose marked his Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship debut with a five-under-par 67.

The world No 5 shares the lead with Welshman Jamie Donaldson, both of them having holed a bunker shot as they established a one-stroke lead over Dane Thorbjorn Olesen and Spaniard Pablo Larrazabal.

They would have been pleased with their position regardless of who was in the field, but to have the game’s top two players five and eight strokes back, respectively, made them enjoy dinner even more.

It tasted even sweeter for Rose given that he did not manage a single birdie during the pre-tournament pro-am in 35mph winds – “a lot of fun,” he joked.

“It’s the perfect start to get up on the leaderboard,” the 32-year-old added.

“I knew it was going to be a tough afternoon (he had watched some of the earlier television coverage of McIlroy and Woods) and I felt very good about that score.”

Donaldson beat McIlroy when he won his only European Tour title at the Irish Open last July, but Rose knows what it is like to beat them both.

He did that twice last year, first in the world championship title in Miami in March – Woods was already way out of contention when he withdrew injured on the final day – and then in the unofficial World Golf Final in Turkey in October.

What he most wants that they have, of course, is a major title, but by finishing last season with a course-record 62 in Dubai – McIlroy beat him with five closing birdies – hopes are high for 2013.

Rose actually set off with a bogey, but by the time he made it from the sand beside the ninth green he was four under and getting up and down from another bunker at the long next took him alongside Donaldson. After that it was pars all the way, although not always easily.

McIlroy double-bogeyed the 15th and third and said: “I guess when you’re going out with new stuff you’re always going to be a little anxious.

“I feel like I was a little bit rusty not playing any competitive golf for eight weeks. I’m disappointed, but not overly concerned.”

Woods will try to draw the positives too and blamed what happened on the first tee – his 10th – on not keeping to his game plan.

Going with driver rather than the three-iron or five-wood he planned, the ball went less than 150 yards and with it not even making the fairway he was understandably furious with himself and let those within earshot know it.

“I had a strategy, I didn’t keep to it and paid the price,” he said after the round.

Donaldson’s maiden triumph at Royal Portrush six months ago in his 255th Tour start helped to propel him into the sport’s top 50 and the biggest reward for that is that he will make his Masters debut in April.

He has just been engaged in some banter with this week’s defending champion Robert Rock by sending him a picture of his Augusta invitation and asking if the Englishman had got his.

Rock is back outside the top 100 as he was when he beat Woods head-to-head a year ago and he will be able to join his close friend if he makes it into the top 50 by the end of March.

His chances of that were not helped when he signed for a 76, the same as new Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley and Europe’s last two leaders, Colin Montgomerie and Jose Maria Olazabal.

Danny Willett leads the trio of Yorkshiremen involved in the event after posting a first-round score of 70 as against the 75s recorded by Simon Dyson and Richard Finch.