Justin Walters impressed on day one of the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters after moving into a share of the lead on -5.
South African Walters, who is chasing his maiden European Tour title, made five birdies in a bogey-free round of 67 to climb to the top of the leaderboard alongside Spaniard Adria Arnaus.
Chilean Hugo Leon is in a seven-way share for third on -4, one shot off the pace, with South African duo George Coetzee and Justin Harding, Belgian Nicolas Colsaerts, Welshman Bradley Dredge, Scotland’s Richie Ramsey and Frenchman Mike Lorenzo-Vera.
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World number 243 Coetzee, who missed the cut at the Oman Open on his previous appearance, was happy with how things went on Thursday and is looking forward to keeping the momentum going. “I played pretty well. I was slow out of the blocks but hit the ball pretty good, putted pretty well,” he told the European Tour’s website. “I like this golf course, it suits my eye.
I enjoy playing it and I see the shots I’m playing more than I do on a lot of other tracks. “It’s tricky with the wind and the dust. It’s the golf course that makes me play with sunglasses, so I’m glad I’ve got them.”
