DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Matthew Fitzpatrick birdied five of his last six holes to shoot a 7-under 65 Thursday and take a one-stroke lead after the first round of the Dubai Desert Classic.
Fitzpatrick's strong finish saw him shoot his lowest score in an opening round since 2015 and break a logjam at the top of the leaderboard, with Sergio Garcia and Bryson DeChambeau among eight players to shoot 66 at Emirates Golf Club.
Nine players are a further shot behind after 67s, including Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter.
The biggest win of Fitzpatrick's career came in Dubai, at the end-of-season World Tour Championship in 2016.