By Kent Gray
“Buchanan’s Brigade” are just warming up and so too is the man at the centre of all the affection.

The Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship might boast some of the biggest names in golf but the loudest first day cheers were reserved for local hero Tom Buchanan who produced a colourful 74 in his European Tour debut.

It left the Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club head pro in a 13-way share of 102nd place alongside the ilk of former Open champion Paul Lawrie, former world No.1 Lee Westwood, Ryder Cupper Chris Wood and former Abu Dhabi champion Robert Rock.

At +2 there’s work to be done to prolong this wild daydream all the way into the weekend at Abu Dhabi G.C. but the 38-year-old reckons he’s a shot at making the cut now he has those inevitable first round jitters out of his system.

“I’m in there, I’m in there pretty well aye,” the Scotsman said after a rousing reception on 18.

“It gives me a chance if I come out tomorrow, a bit more relaxed obviously about what’s happening. I’ve played okay today for 74, anything better tomorrow gets me under par and in with a shot of still being here at the weekend. That was the big thing about today, being here for the weekend.”

Buchanan wouldn’t be the only one to savour that prospect.

“Obviously the following and having people with me has been wonderful. I’ve tried to block it out a bit and I was doing all right until they started screaming at the first tee this morning. I have to say that really got to me and I hit a big massive pull off the first [laughs] but, you know, it’s been great.

“[Friday’s] going to be worse, there’s more coming tomorrow. I know that, there’s more coming tomorrow [laughs]. Aye, so that’ll be good, it’s great for me and my family, its great for the club in Al Ain, to be representing the club is fantastic, and it’s the big stage isn’t it, it’s the stage where we all want to be, and I’ve enjoyed it.”

Buchanan did well to hold his nerve on the biggest stage of his life especially with the vocal locals in tow. “I was starting to get a wee bit down at the 9th and then made up and down out the bunker for a bogey. Then I birdied 10 then all of a sudden we were back on.

“I managed to hit one out the middle at 12 into the back bunker, I hadn’t calculated for it come out of the middle [more laughs] so I made bogey there then a good birdie at 16. Then I hit probably one of the worst shots I’ve hit in the last year at 17 to miss the green by about 30 yards right, behind a tree and I made five.

“But all in all a wonderful experience and I think if somebody had offered me 74 this morning I would definitely have taken it.”

English amateur Dan Kirkwood, who also qualified for Abu Dhabi via last month’s UAE PGA qualifying tournament at Saadiyat Beach G.C., matched Buchanan’s 74 but UAE pro Ahmed Al Musharrekh struggled to a 14 over 86.