The four contenders chasing a Dubai double worth
£1.65million effectively became three today, when Londoner Ross Fisher made a horrendous start to the European Tour's season finale, the Dubai World Championship.

Fisher started the first round knowing he had to finish first or second to have any hope of overhauling Rory McIlroy, Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer in the Race to Dubai money list.

But the golfer who proved his class this year by leading all four majors and winning the Volvo World Match Play Championship will need a miracle if he is to celebrate his 29th birthday on Sunday by banking the first prize of £750,000 and a top money list bonus of £900,000.

He ran up the only double-bogey six of the opening round on the 454-yard opening hole and he never really recovered as he finished on one over.

Westwood, who must finish ahead of McIlroy to have any chance of his second European Tour money list title, made an excellent start to claim a share of second place on six under with England's Chris Wood and Camilo Villegas, of Colombia.

They were one shot behind Australia's Robert Allenby, who is 22nd on the money list.

Back-to-back birdies at the seventh and the eighth helped Westwood apply early pressure on playing partner McIlroy who, at 20, could become the second youngest winner of the money list after Seve Ballesteros, who was 19 when he triumphed in 1976.

McIlroy dropped an early shot with a bogey at the eighth after his drive finished on the edge of a bunker and he had to play the next shot with his feet in the sand. But he quickly clawed it back with a birdie and then raced down the back nine to finish on four under.

Wood, making his comeback from tearing angle ligaments while falling down some steps in Spain a month ago, shot a 66. The 21-year-old, who turned in 34 and then came in with four successive

birdies, said: “That's the first time I've played 18 holes since the injury.

“The ankle started aching on the 15th tee and I thought I'll take one under for the closing stretch'. But I managed to birdie every one.”

That closing run of four holes is known as the Golden Mile', which course designer Greg Norman describes as “one of the most challenging and exciting miles of golf in terms of risk and reward”. Wood certainly got his reward, pitching to six feet on the 15th, making eight-footers on the next two and then hitting his approach to six feet at the 620-yard last.

Westwood's Ryder Cup team-mate Luke Donald, returning from further surgery on his wrist last month, had two three-putt bogeys as he slipped to one over.

Justin Rose was another to have made the long trip from America to the Middle East and he had to settle for a level par 72.

Padraig Harrington, chasing his first Tour win of the season, finished on four under.