Englishman Ian Poulter, fresh from a break and two long days of practice, carded a seven-under-par 65 to take a share of the lead in the first round of the Abu Dhabi Championship Thursday. “I wasn't expecting to come out quite as fast as that but I will certainly take it,” said Poulter, who ended the round tied with compatriot Richard Bland and South African Keith Horne. “I hit the ball lovely. I got here on Monday night, started practising and my game felt about 70 percent, let alone the way it was today. “So I put in an extra long session on Tuesday and Wednesday; my hands were raw and sore. I've done an awful lot of work, and it's definitely paid off.” Poulter, 34, produced a bogey-free display around the National course to secure the clubhouse lead before Bland and Horne, who were competing together in the last group, ended their rounds as darkness descended on the United Arab Emirates capital. The 37-year-old Bland had an eagle at the second hole, which he was playing as his 11th, while the 38-year-old Horne started his round with three straight birdies. Nine players, including Spaniards Sergio Garcia and Alvaro Quirois, Scotland's former Open champion Paul Lawrie and Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy, carded six-under-par 66s. Germany's Martin Kaymer, winner of the event in 2008, is well placed at five under par but defending champion Paul Casey of Britain ruined his round with a penultimate-hole double bogey in a level-par 72. Former US Open champion Michael Campbell of New Zealand carded an 11-over 83 that left him trailing in last place by four strokes. Bertsch surges two ahead In Los Angeles, Shane Bertsch, who has bounced between the PGA Tour and its satellite circuit over the last 15 years, charged into a two-shot lead in the Bob Hope Classic first round at La Quinta, California Wednesday. Making the most of receptive greens on a surprisingly cool day in the desert, American Bertsch fired a sizzling 10-under-par 62 on the Nicklaus Private course at PGA West, one of four venues hosting the five-round pro-am celebrity event. Rookie Alex Prugh, making only his third appearance on the PGA Tour, and fellow American Jeff Quinney recorded matching 64s on the same Nicklaus layout. Tour veteran JP Hayes launched his season in fine style with an eight-birdie 65 on the Palmer Private course, finishing level with fellow Americans Garrett Willis, George McNeill and Joe Ogilvie. Willis started out on the Nicklaus layout, McNeill began at La Quinta Country Club and Ogilvie toured the Palmer course. Bertsch, a highly promising tennis player as a junior, has had just five seasons on the PGA Tour since qualifying for the first time at the end of 1995. The California coast is being battered by high winds and heavy rain this week and wet weather has been forecast for the next two rounds of the 90-hole event. Players were permitted to lift, clean and place balls in the fairway for the opening round. American Pat Perez, who won last year's title by three shots, opened with a 68 at the SilverRock Resort, the most difficult of the four venues. Canadian Mike Weir opened with a 67 on the Palmer course while former world No. 1 David Duval returned a 74 at the same venue.
