Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images
Green acknowledges the gallery on the 13th green during the opening round of the Saudi International at Royal Greens Golf and Country Club on January 30, 2020, in King Abdullah Economic City.

By Kent Gray
A bolstered agronomy team of 50 have gone to extraordinary lengths to ensure Royal Greens Golf & Country Club is presented in immaculate condition for the 2nd Saudi International. Roped in from eight nations, together the greens-keeping staff have poured 4000 man-hours into course prep for the $3.5 million European Tour event and have even used scissors to trim the grass just so.

It has been greeted with almost universal approval from this week’s star-studded field with former U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell and Asian Tour star Gavin Green the most appreciative on Thursday after earning a share of the first-round lead at the Desert Swing event. The 26-year-old Malaysian, who won the Taiwan Masters en-route to topping the Asian Tour order of merit in 2017, rode a hot and cold putter to an early 64 which McDowell matched later despite a double-bogey on his card.

After creating tour history with a 96-minute, final round 75 at last week’s OMEGA Dubai Desert Classic, Sebastian Soderberg went significantly slower and 10 strokes better to grab a share of second place alongside Swedish compatriot Henrik Stenson and Dubai-based Spaniard Adri Arnaus.

A gaggle of seven players, including debutant Phil Mickelson and Englishman Tom Lewis who was T-3 in Dubai, are a shot further back after 66s while Lucas Herbert showed little signs of his promised hangover after winning the Desert Classic with an opening 67, a score matched by Saudi defending champion Dustin Johnson.

After getting it to -2 early, world No.1 Brooks Koepka signed for an even-par 70 after four back-nine bogeys were sweetened by a birdie on 18. Fellow American Ryder Cupper Patrick Reed went birdie-less in a three-over 73.

They are all looking up at McDowell and Green on a day when 50 players bettered par..

Graeme McDowell reacts to a shot during the opening round at Royal Greens. (Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)

Playing in the company of Mickelson, McDowell opened with a par before rattling off four successive birdies. He closed with a hat-trick of gains from the 15th with his only blemish a double on the par-3 11th.

Green’s six-under loop was also blighted by a back nine wobble with three-putt bogeys at 12 and 14.   

“Played solid. Really just a few mistakes here and there, which is pretty normal. A couple of pretty big par saves, and a couple of mistakes, a couple of three-putts, which was tough to take in because I was playing well and I was playing solid. Just a couple slipped off,” Green said.

“You know, it’s the nature of the game. You just have to live with it and move on, and that’s what we did. We closed off strong, birdied 16, 17. Had a look at 18. Had a nasty little lip out but it is what it is. I’ll take it. Six-under’s good.”

Indeed.

Like Green, Stenson also enjoyed his opening round on greens that a better for an extra year of growth and care.

“That was some good putting,” said the 43-year-old who is searching for his first European Tour win since claiming the claret jug at the 2016 Open Championship at Royal Toon.

“I contributed most of it to the putting today. Still a struggle off the tee at times and the rough is pretty thick. Had to scramble well on a couple of holes, but the approach shots that were close I converted into birdies and kept it together nicely, so very pleased with that.

Stenson tees off on the par-4 17th during the first round at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club. (Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)

“The greens are rolling much better this year. They are quicker, more top-dressed and not as grainy, so I think everyone’s happy with the improvements on the greens. You feel like you’re more used to the conditions that we’re playing here this week than maybe the ones we had last year.”

A bit like playing in the UAE where you’ve enjoyed so much success, Henrik?

“Not really. I think this golf course is a lot different compared to the ones we played in Abu Dhabi and Dubai and Qatar over the years. Paspalum, different grass, but it’s still kind of desert style. When you miss it badly, you’re kind of out in the desert, and certainly tried that once or twice, as well. Maybe a little bit, but all in all, just a good opening round.’

Johnston mixed five birdies Thursday with two bogeys but was relatively happy with his first round 67 since Jan.5 when he finished T-7 at the Sentry Tournament of Champions to open the new PGA Tour year.

“I felt like I played pretty well. Just the three-putt on 17 was bad. I just missed a short one and then lipped-out a pretty short putt on 3 for par. Those were the only two bogeys. So really wasn’t out of position too much. I felt like I drove it pretty well. Hit a lot of good shots. 3-under is a solid score. I feel like the golf course is much more difficult this year than it was last year, just because the rough’s up, and the greens are a little faster.

“You have to attack the course differently this year for sure just because you can’t play out of the rough. Whereas last year, it was no problem. And so yeah, definitely played a few different clubs off the tees just to try to get it in the fairway.”