Poulter nudges into lead with monster putt

Englishman's 70-foot putt on the 18th hole delights the crowd as nine players resume today one shot behind him and two others at seven-under par.

Soren Hansen's caddie Phil Morbey congratulates Ian Poulter at the end of his first round yesterday.

Talk about playing to the gallery. Ian Poulter, never shy of adding a flamboyant touch to the game of golf, used every inch of the 18th green to thrill spectators yesterday with the most remarkable of birdies to snatch a share of the first round lead in the Abu Dhabi Championship.

Poulter, 34, who exploded into the professional ranks 14 years ago as a brash, flash youngster, has toned down his approach in recent seasons but did not conceal his excitement as he watched his 70-foot putt find its way unerringly to the closing hole of what had been an excellent bogey-free seven-under par. Saving par was his principal objective after thinning his escape from a bunker behind the green and he admitted that his downhill birdie putt would have trundled 10 feet too far had the hole not gobbled it up.

Poulter, who was joined at the top of the leaderboard by two players competing in the last group of the day - South Africa's Keith Horne and England's Richard Bland - is benefiting for the second time in three months from an extended rest from the game. He returned from a five-week lay-off in November to win the Singapore Open, his 10th professional title, and he is well on course to repeat that strategy here.

"You can't do that kind of thing too often otherwise you would not get in enough tournaments," he quipped. "But the two breaks have made me feel fresh and ready and I'm hungry to go out there and perform." Poulter, who made four of his seven birdies on the outward nine, has set himself a schedule of 25 tournaments this year which he hopes will include a Ryder Cup appearance without having to rely on another captain's wildcard.

He is also hoping to break into the world's top 10 and turn in a better performance in a major to go one better than his runners-up position to Padraig Harrington in the 2008 British Open. Things could hardly be tighter behind the three pace-setters. Nine players were tied for fourth place on 66, principally Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy, who is seeking to add this title to his Dubai Desert Classic success last year, and Sergio Garcia, who showed signs of regaining the type of form that once threatened to challenge Tiger Woods for the top ranking.

Also figuring prominently in that chasing bunch are Spaniard Alvaro Quiros, who already has a Desert Swing title from Doha last year, two Welshmen in Rhys Davies and Stephen Dodd and a Swedish double act of Peter Hanson and Alexander Noren. They were joined on 66 by Scotland's Paul Lawrie and Daniel Vancsik of Argentina. McIlroy, 20, is a genuine contender for world No 1 status and the player who narrowly failed to take last season's honours in the Race to Dubai also hit a hot streak on his return from a prolonged festive break.

A double-bogey six on the 11th deprived him of the lead after an exciting round of eight birdies but he shrugged of the solitary negative and concentrated on the numerous positives. "Apart from that loose tee shot on 11 it was a really good round," he said. "I converted a lot of my chances and any time you open up a tournament with a 66 you've got to be happy." McIlroy was in a glamorous three-ball with Garcia and Sweden's Henrik Stenson, who could only manage a 70.

Garcia recovered superbly from the disappointment of dropping shots at the third and fourth to accumulate eight birdies, three of them in a row during an electrifying back nine, which he covered in only 31 shots. "It didn't look great after those first few holes but it was definitely a good comeback," Garcia said. The Spaniard is looking forward to another round this morning with McIlroy, who has succeeded him as the sport's next outstanding prospect.

"He's very impressive to watch. He swings so nicely. There are not many things you could say he could get better ," he added. @Email:[e-mail] Today, Showsports 3 from 12noon