G-Mac two clear at HSBC

Graeme McDowell was left to rue two closing bogeys but his first round 67 was still good enough to grab a two-shot lead after the first round of the WGC-HSBC Champions in Shanghai.

The 10th anniversary of the event has attracted a stellar field with 40 of the world’s top 50 taking part in the biggest event outside of the Open and US Open.

And it’s Northern Irishman McDowell who leads the way after a flying start to the day at Sheshan International which saw him play his first 12 holes in seven-under-par.

He dropped two shots in his last six holes though to finish on five-under for the tournament, but that was still two strokes better than the chasing pack of six including Rickie Fowler and Martin Kaymer on three-under.

Starting from the 10th, the Ryder Cup star birdied his opening hole and picked up further shots on the 13th, 14th, 16th and 17th to race to the turn in 31, before birdies at the second and third took him well clear of a star-studded field.

However, the former US Open champion dropped his first shot of the day on the fourth and paid the price for missing his only fairway of the round on the 603-yard eighth hole, a par-five which had so far given up just two birdies.

At five-under-par, McDowell enjoyed a two-shot lead over American trio Fowler, Chris Kirk and Brandt Snedeker, along with South African Tim Clark, Englishman Tommy Fleetwood and fellow Ryder Cup star Kaymer.

A host of big names sit just one shot further back on two-under, with English duo Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood carding rounds of 70 along with Henrik Stenson, Jordan Spieth, Adam Scott and Louis Oosthuizen.

Difficult

American Dustin Johnson (absent this week) claimed the title 12 months ago with a winning total of 24 under par, but Justin Rose - who was fifth last year - had correctly predicted heavier rough and firmer greens would make scoring more difficult.

Rose, who was fourth in the BMW Masters on Sunday, mixed four birdies with four bogeys for a level par round of 72.

Spain's Miguel Angel Jimenez, who took 13 on the ninth hole during his final round last week, struggled to an opening 78, while FedEx Cup winner Billy Horschel managed just one birdie in a round of 80.