Sam Bairstow only found out on the flight over to Abu Dhabi that his 2026 season had been given a lifeline.

The 28-year-old left-hander from Sheffield was heading over as a reserve, a status he wasn’t even expecting a week earlier and hadn’t earned, given it is only the top 70 on the Race to Dubai rankings who qualify for the first of the DP World Tour’s two season-ending play-off events in the Middle East.

Bairstow was 81st, after all. His season should have been over.

But because of uncertainty in the region, a whole host of bigger names above him on the rankings - fellow Sheffielders Matt and Alex Fitzpatrick, and Ryder Cuppers Justin Rose and Shane Lowry among them - had opted out of the two tournaments.

Chance: Sam Bairstow of England walks up the fairway on the 18th hole on day one of the Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship at Yas Links Golf Course on November 05 (Picture: Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)

placeholder image — Chance: Sam Bairstow of England walks up the fairway on the 18th hole on day one of the Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship at Yas Links Golf Course on November 05 (Picture: Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)

It gave Bairstow a free pass into one of the most lucrative events on the DP World Tour and boy did he take advantage.

First to tee off at Yas Links, Bairstow shot a bogey-free, seven-under-par 65, a score that would be bettered by only one of the 69 players who followed him round the course, Italy’s Francesco Laporta who shot a 62.

"I shouldn't be playing,” said Bairstow in his post-round interview. “I was on the flight over here and I got the message through that I was playing, so yeah, had three good days prep, which was nice.

"I think, for me where I am, it's sort of just go at it and see what happens, really. It's either play well or I don't.”

Sam Bairstow of England prepares to putt on the 18th green on day one of the Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship at Yas Links Golf Course (Picture: Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)

Play well and he could extend his season further into the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai next week, a tournament only the top 50 get into, but with those high-profile withdrawals that entry list might reach down into the sixties.

Keep contending, or even finally break his winning duck in Abu Dhabi, and Bairstow could challenge for the 10 cards on offer for the highest-ranked players not already exempt on the PGA Tour next season.

For now, Bairstow was just happy to enjoy a strong opening round.

“I putted really well, I’d been struggling with that the last few events but I’ve done a lot of work out here on it the last three days and it was nice to see it pay off,” said Bairstow, who has just two top-10s all season but comes into this week with three top-20 finishes in his last four tournaments.

“I’ve hit it a lot better the last 10 weeks really, and I usually putt really nicely but haven’t been doing that recently. That’s golf.

“But I saw the putts go in today and I hit pretty well so hopefully that carries on.”

Jon Rham is alongside him at seven under, Tyrell Hatton is five under, Rory McIlroy four under, Joe Dean three under and Dan Bradbury is one over.

The LIV Golf circuit appears to be on life support. The Financial Times has reported that BC Partners Credit, who had been lined up as potential backers following the withdrawal of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, have pulled out of a deal worth more than £200m due to an exodus of star players.

LIV had been forced to apply for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, effectively cancelling playing contracts, with Rahm, Hatton, Sergio Garcia and Lee Westwood all departing.