Hanson equals course record, sets early pace at Dubai World championship

Sweden’s Peter Hanson has not won a tournament this season but gave himself the perfect start in his quest to win the final leg of The Race to Dubai by equalling the course record with a flawless eight under par 64 in the Dubai World Championship presented by DP World at the Earth course, Jumeirah Golf Estates.But the 34 year-old Ryder Cup star has the formidable figure of world number two Rory McIlroy hot on his heels after the 22 year-old from Northern Ireland turned a potentially average round into a work of art rattling in six birdies on a breathtaking back nine that saw him end the day just two shots off the pace with a six under par 66. It was a performance that further spiced up the battle for The Race to Dubai title and gives McIlroy a six shot advantage over world number one Luke Donald, the man currently sitting at the top of the European money list, who could only muster a level par 72. US Open Champion McIlroy needs to win in Dubai with Donald finishing outside the top nine to snatch The Race to Dubai crown from the Englishman.But while all eyes were on the top two and their own private war, Hanson calmly went about his business equalling the course record set by Lee Westwood in 2009 and matched by Ross Fisher twelve months ago.“It’s definitely the best golf I have played,” said the Swede. “My ball striking was very, very pure, I was hitting a lot of fairways and I think I only missed one green when I managed to get it up and down on the third hole. I gave myself a lot of chances — my first five birdies today were tapins, which is kind of nice when you don’t even have to putt.” Sandwiched between Hanson and third placed McIlroy is  former Open Champion Paul Lawrie who rolled back the years to take an early lead in the $7.5 million Dubai World Championship presented by DP World with a flawless opening round of seven-under par 65. Lawrie won his first tournament since 2002 earlier this year and is making his first appearance in the grand finale to The European Tour season — an event held under the patronage of Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Sports Council. And despite the presence of the best young players in European golf, the 1999 Open Champion proved he still has the game at the age of 42 to compete with the likes of Donald and McIlroy, the only remaining contenders for The Race to Dubai title. Lawrie began his run with two 15ft putts on the fifth and sixth and the Scot then chipped close at the long seventh, made a 30-footer to complete an outward 32 and then collected more birdies at the tenth, 11th and 14th.