| -7 S Jamieson (Sco), D Hillier (NZ); -6 S Tarrio (Spa), E Ferguson, S Gallacher, R MacIntyre (all Sco). |
| Selected others: -5 A Sullivan (Eng), P Larrazabal (Spa); -4 E Molinari (Ita); -2 R Fisher (Eng), R Ramsay (Sco), M Warren (Sco); -1 E Pepperell (Eng), T Olesen (Den), R Hoejgaard (Den). |
| First round will be completed on Friday. Full leaderboard |
Scott Jamieson made a blistering start in the Qatar Masters as he bids to keep his DP World Tour card for next season.
The Scot, 39, fired a seven-under-par opening 65 to share the early lead with New Zealand’s Daniel Hillier before a sandstorm then lightning stopped play.
Jamieson sits 119th in the Race to Dubai standings, with the top 116 retaining full privileges for 2024.
Robert MacIntyre, Ewen Ferguson and Stephen Gallacher all reached six under on a leaderboard dominated by Scots.
Jamieson’s close friend Marc Warren, a four-time winner on the tour, is 117th on the standings and opened with a two-under 70 in Doha, as did Aberdonian Richie Ramsay.
Warren, 42, won the 2007 World Cup alongside Colin Montgomerie and has competed on the circuit for 17 years.
Florida-based Jamieson has held his card for 13 consecutive seasons, with a career-best finish of 26th in 2017, but he and Warren face a trip to qualifying school if they do not force their way into the top 116 in the Race to Dubai standings by Sunday evening.
“There is nothing to lose any more,” said Jamieson, who made seven birdies and no bogeys in calm early conditions at Doha Golf Club.
“The last month or so the issue has been that I’ve been worrying about the guys around me and just trying to keep my neck in front.
“I’m on the wrong side of it now, so I’ve just got to go get it.”
MacIntyre carded six birdies and no bogeys in his 66 as he continued his encouraging start after making numerous changes following his Ryder Cup debut.
The left-hander is on his third different caddie this season and has also changed his ball and putter.
“Me and [caddie] Greg had a great run after teaming up again. I went back to the past and it worked for a wee while and it was good, but I just need that change again,” he said.
“I’d been struggling a wee bit with the putting leading up to the Ryder Cup and didn’t putt my best there so I’ve changed my putter and also made a little technique change and the ball is rolling nicely.”
Andy Sullivan of England and Spain’s Pablo Larrazabal featured among the players who began with five-under rounds of 67.
Ross Fisher is 115th in the Race to Dubai and the former Ryder Cup player carded an opening two-under 70 as the Englishman seeks to preserve his status for next season.
Play resumed after the sandstorm but lasted little more than an hour before the players in the £3m event were taken off again because of lightning, leaving half of the field yet to complete their rounds.
