Small talk in short supply as rivals slug it out in Dubai

Needing a top-three finish in the Dubai World Championship to have any chance of grabbing the European Tour's No1 crown away from the German, McDowell is down in joint-25th after a level-par 72.

That was five strokes worse than Kaymer, who lies third two shots behind Swede Robert Karlsson as he kept alive the possibility of not only winning the money list, but also earning a staggering 1.7m on Sunday and, as a result, taking the world No 1 spot from Worksop's Lee Westwood.

The two Order of Merit contenders were playing partners, but Kaymer reckons they exchanged "maybe two or three sentences" during the four hours they spent together. And one of them was a simple "well done" from the Northern Irishman after Kaymer had followed a birdie on the long second with an eagle two at the 452-yard next.

The US PGA champion sank a 192-yard seven-iron for that and stated: "I think the last time I holed out from the fairway was on the Challenge Tour.

"I never got that lucky, but it's the right week – the most important of my career so far – to get lucky."

Kaymer insists he does not have room in his head to think about the world No 1 situation.

A top-two finish, but more likely a win, could take him ahead of Westwood, whose defence of the tournament started with a 69 for a share of fifth place.

Karlsson was Europe's No 1 two years ago, but then suffered a retina problem and after taking a three-month break did not even make the 60-strong field for this season-ending event.

This is his debut in it therefore and he very nearly kicked off by breaking Westwood's course record.

After an eagle at the long 14th, where he sank a 114-yard pitch, and birdies at the 16th and 17th he stood eight under and needed a four on the 620-yard last for a 63.

Instead he drove poorly up against a tree, ran up a bogey six and so saw his lead over Korean teenager Noh Seung-yul shrink to one.

Westwood is still suffering from the calf muscle injury that has bothered him most of the year.

"Everybody's got to remember I'm still rehabbing," he said. "I've not been able to work on my game and it does not help that it's as hot as it is – it makes it swell.

"I'm hoping it'll be back to 100 per cent next season and I'm looking forward to not having to worry about it. I showed I was rusty and was not competitive sharp, but I hit only two iffy shots all day.

"I've played once in the last five weeks (he was runner-up in Shanghai at the start of this month) and was 18 under. That's pretty good going."

The Yorkshire trio of Simon Dyson, Danny Willett and John Parry endured mixed fortunes on day one, with the Earth Course proving a tough test.

Malton's Dyson recorded a level par round of 72, Harrogate's Parry carded three birdies on his way to a three-over-par 75 and Willett, from Sheffield, finished a shot further back after posting an opening 76.