Scott Jamieson’s extended run of fine form in the UAE continued as he claimed a share of the lead on Day 1 of the first Ras Al Khaimah Championship presented by Phoenix Capital.
The tournament at Al Hamra Golf Club is the Scotsman’s fourth DP World Tour event in a row in the Emirates.
The UAE swing has suited him. First, he finished tied for 13 at the Aviv Dubai Championship around Fire Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates back in November.
He started his 2022 season by holding the lead for three days at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship at Yas Links, before having to settle for a share of 10th.
He also figured on the leaderboard at the Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic last week, then finished tied-35th.
He is immediately back in contention on the tour’s first trip to RAK. Jamieson fired a 7-under-par 65 in the opening round, to share the lead with Dubai-raised Sebastian Heisele.
“I just picked up where I left off at the end of November, and I did a bit of work but nothing dramatic,” Jamieson said of what has prompted his uptick in performances.
“[There were] no great overhauls which I’ve maybe been guilty of in the past, instead of just improving on what I have a little bit here and there.
“I think being ready mentally was key, being ready to hit the ground running and thankfully I was able to do that.”
Jamieson and Heisele made the most of the calm conditions early in the morning on a course which generally gets buffeted by a sea breeze off the Arabian Gulf more appreciably in the afternoons.
Brandon Stone, who was one of three players to finish within a shot of the lead, said as much after his round of 66.
“I think it’s obviously a lot more forgiving than the last couple of weeks. Yas Links and Emirates Golf Club have been extremely challenging,” Stone said.
“We found ourselves this morning without a breath of wind, with pins that we can get to and the greens are true as anything, about a foot and a half slower than last week [at the Classic].
“Overall the course is there to be played, I hope the wind gets up a little bit and gives us a little bit more of a challenge over the next two weeks, but overall it’s a fantastic venue.”
The late starters were certainly challenged, as the wind blew significantly in the afternoon, making scoring tricky for some of the leading names in the field.
Richard Bland, who was runner up after a playoff with Viktor Hovland at the Classic on Sunday, had to settle for a 1-under par 71 on his 49th birthday.
Danny Willett was at 1-over after 12 holes, before a run of four successive birdies. The 2016 Masters Champion finished at 3-under, four shots behind the leaders.
