Golf-China’s Liang shares early lead with Aiken in Dubai

By Norman Dabell

DUBAI, Nov 19 (Reuters) - China’s Liang Wenchong carded a four-under 68 to take a share of the clubhouse lead with South African Thomas Aiken at the first round of the Dubai World Championship on Thursday.

After notching his fifth birdie on the 12th, Liang stumbled with bogeys on the 14 and 17, but tidied up his round with a birdie on the last at the Greg Norman-designed Earth Course.

“The pin positions on the 14th and 17th were very tricky and I three-putted them both,” Liang told Reuters.

“But fortunately my all-round game earned my good score.

“It’s great to be in this position in the first Dubai World Championship but it’s now important for me to go on from here.”

As the early groups came in, Europe’s order of merit headliners Rory McIlroy of Northern Island, Englishmen Lee Westwood and Ross Fisher and Martin Kaymer of Germany were going through their final preparations in Dubai’s sweltering heat.

The winner of the tour finale for the Race to Dubai will earn a 996,810 euro ($1.49 million) prize, while the top 15 will share a $7.5 million bonus pool.

Aiken, who did not have a tour card at the start of the season, was able to match Liang with four birdies in the last five holes, and only a bogey on the short 17th denied him the outright lead.

The South African has had to work hard for his trip to Dubai, with his last two months hindered by injury.

“Having a limited status this year it was a bit of a challenge for me to get here,” Aiken told reporters.

“The course is tricky because there are a lot of blind shots out there.”

Welshman Bradley Dredge held third place after shooting a two-under 70.

(Editing by Ian Ransom; To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)