(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) After knitting together a second Race to Dubai crown last November, Henrik Stenson spent some much needed quality time with his family, going skiing with his wife Emma Lofgren and children - Lisa, Karl and Alice in Utah.
The Swede then jetted into Stockholm and put to shade no less than Manchester United's Zlatan Ibrahimovic, to receive the Male Sports Athlete of the Year at the Swedish Sports Awards on Monday.
And then, he embarked on the trip to Abu Dhabi. It meant Stenson had taken two long-haul flights from his home in Orlando to Stockholm and then to the UAE Capital.
In between all of this, Stenson spent very little time in sharpening his golf skills, just indulging in some putting and working on his short game, during the winter.
Despite all of that, the British Open champion rocked up at the National Course of the Abu Dhabi Golf Club and fired up the leaderboard on the opening day of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship on Thursday.
The 40-year-old's eight-under 64 was still short of the course record of 10-under 62 he had set in 2006, but it was still enough for a two stroke lead in the opening round.
Runner-up here in 2006 and 2008, Stenson reeled off eight birdies after embarking on the three-ball with US Open champion and Middle East debutant Dustin Johnson and Masters champion Danny Willett from the par-5 10th. It was a blemish-free round from Stenson where he began with a birdie on the 10th before knocking in three birdies on the trot from the 12th to 14th. He then wrapped up his front nine with birdies on the par-4 17th and par-5 18th.
On his return journey, Stenson had pars from the first to the sixth before two birdies dotted his back nine - on the par-3 seventh and par-4 ninth.
There were four players in tied second with six-under 66 with one name who has come to be synonymous with the Championship - Germany's Martin Kaymer.
Kaymer, winner here in 2008, 2010 and 2011, had eight birdies after going out with defending champion Rickie Fowler and Sweden's Alex Noren.
The 32-year-old could have been alongside Stenson but for two bogeys - one each on his front and back nine. Giving him company on six-under were Thailand's Kiradech Aphibarnrat, England's Oliver Fisher and Scotland's Marc Warren. Four players - Spain's Rafa Cabrera Bello, Tommy Fleetwood, Tyrell Hatton and Julien Quesne were tied sixth on five-under.
American Rickie Fowler had a day of attrition and turned in a par round. The defending champion had four birdies and four bogeys in his round.
Fowler's compatriot Dustin Johnson too came away with a par round after knocking in three birdies and three bogeys.
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