Fisher Sets Pace in Qatar Masters


Oliver Fisher opened with a 7-under 65 to take the 18-hole lead at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters. The European Tour event has an unusual Wednesday start - with a Saturday finish - at Doha Golf Club.

The 26-year-old Fisher carded eight birdies and a bogey for a one-stroke lead over Spain's Rafa Cabrera-Bello and two shots over 11 players who posted 67s.

"I played nicely today. It was a little bit breezy and I felt like I controlled my golf ball," Fisher told the European Tour's website. "I played well and gave myself a lot of chances so it was a good round.

"It's a great field like last week. I'm out there giving it my all every time until the last shot, and hopefully when I add them up at the end of the day and it's a good run," added Fisher, whose only victory on the European Tour came in the 2011 Czech Open.

Cabrera-Bello also had an enjoyable outing with three birdies on each his front and back nines. "I'm very pleased and happy with the way I played, and looking forward to tomorrow and the weekend," said the two-time European Tour winner.

"I had a good stretch from the 16th all the way through to the second, which for me are the birdie holes where you can go low. I managed to do that with three birdies there, and just kept playing solid till I got home."

The big group of players in third are South Africans Darren Fichardt, Ernie Els and Branden Grace; Spain's Alejandro Caņizares; German Moritz Lampert; South Korean rookie Byeong-hun An; Swedes Kristoffer Broberg and Alex Noren; England's Mark Foster; Argentine Emiliano Grillo; and Scotland's Paul Lawrie.

Els noted his recent poor putting has turned his usual friendly demeanor upside down. "For such a long time, I've been quite a grumpy guy," said the four-time major winner. "I'm actually not a grumpy guy; I'm quite a happy guy, but when you're not making putts, you can't help yourself. You can't play the game if you're not making any putts.

"So today I didn't hit it that well with the irons but got the ball up-and-down. I'm not feeling so tense and afraid of those short putts. We can play golf again."

Defending champion Sergio Garcia, No. 6 in the World Golf Rankings, opened with a 69 and No. 2-ranked Henrik Stenson had a 70. Fifth-ranked Justin Rose had a 68.

Gary Stal, who overcame an eight-stroke deficit to win last week's Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship, recorded a 72. American Peter Uihlein, the European Tour's 2013 Rookie of the Year, started out with a 69.

No.1 Rory McIlroy isn't playing this week, nor is Germany's Martin Kaymer, who stumbled to a 75 last Sunday to forfeit his six-stroke 54-hole lead in Abu Dhabi.

For all the scores, visit http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/season=2015/tournamentid=2015004/leaderboard/index.html.