Callum Shinkwin carded a course-record equalling ten under par 62 to take a two-stroke lead after day one at the Ras Al Khaimah Championship.

Starting his day on the back nine, the Englishman, a two-time winner on the DP World Tour, began his round with three consecutive pars before birdieing ten of his next 11 holes at Al Hamra Golf Club.

His run of eight birdies in a row was one shy of equalling the DP World Tour’s record, and he also threatened a historic 59 as he reached ten under par with four holes to play. The 30-year-old played his final four holes in level par, recovering from a bogey at the seventh hole with his 11th birdie of the day at the eighth to set the pace at ten under.

“I was a bit gutted about seven, it’s not always easy to get a 59 on a par 72. I just kept going, making birdie after birdie and didn’t think about 59, to be fair,” said Shinkwin.

“Still, you’ve got to try and birdie nine, which is never an easy hole to birdie. (On seven) it was quite an easy tee shot with no wind, but a little bit of wind, I just had to fiddle one in there. I was just playing like I always do.”

Shinkwin’s compatriot Richard Mansell, who has recently relocated to Dubai, made a fast start as he covered his front nine in just 29 strokes with three birdies and two eagles, including a hole-out from a bunker on the 18th, his ninth hole.

He carded birdies on the third, fifth and seventh holes to join Shinkwin on ten under par before a double bogey on the eighth saw him settle for second place after the first round.

South Africa’s Brandon Stone, who earned a return to the DP World Tour for this season after finishing 19th on the Challenge Tour’s 2023 Road to Mallorca Rankings, joined Mansell in a share of second as he carded seven birdies and an eagle in his eight under par round of 64.

In fourth place, one stroke behind on seven under par, are Ricardo Gouveia of Portugal, Frenchman Frederic Lacroix and Germany’s Freddy Schott.

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