Zander Lombard continued his good form with an opening five under-par round of 67 to share the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters lead with Wu Ashun at Doha Golf Club.

The South African, who finished in a tie for second at last week’s Bahrain Championship presented by Bapco Energies, is currently on a run of 17 events without missing a cut and looked at ease as he birdied the second, sixth and eighth holes to make the turn in 33. Two further gains at the 16th and 18th saw him draw level with China’s Wu to share a one-stroke lead after 18 holes.

“Just really soli,” said Lombard. “I drove it nicely and hit a lot of greens which makes it pretty easy in this breeze, I didn’t have to up-and-down much.

“I think I only missed two greens where I had to chip and the other one was just off and I putted it, so it was stress-free and a lot of lagged putts and the greens are beautiful, so slick and fast so everything looks like its rolling in at the moment.”

38-year-old Lu, who has four DP World Tour titles to his name, made the most of his early wake-up call to roll in five birdies and held a one-shot lead for most of the day before Lombard battled the afternoon wind in an impressive display to join him at the summit.

Lombard’s countryman Jaco Prinsloo was another who made the most of the early conditions as he posted a four-under 68 in the opening group of the day to lie in a tie for third on four under par, alongside Denmark’s Niklas Nørgaard, Frenchman Clément Sordet and Australia’s Haydn Barron, who is competing in his maiden DP World Tour season after coming through Qualifying School in 2023.

A shot back in a share of seventh place at three under are seven players including Australian Harrison Endycott, Northern Irishman Tom McKibbin, England’s Paul Waring, Japanese Rikuya Hoshino, Germany’s Maximilian Rottluff, Korean Sung Kang and Daniel Hillier, of New Zealand.

UAE’s Joshua Grenville-Wood is just three shots back from the leaders after opening with a two-under 70.

Image: Getty