Slow start for Shiv Kapur in Abu Dhabi

Pelley asked the Tour’s referee staff – led by John Paramor – to come up with new ways to tackle the problem, and this week a “monitoring” system has been introduced which is running alongside the usual method of identifying and punishing culprits with shot penalties.

McIlroy was two strokes behind early leader Bryson DeChambeau (64), the U.S. Amateur champion, after rolling in eight birdies in his first appearance after two months off, during which he underwent laser eye surgery.

“I feel great. I came home from Hawaii, took a couple days off, went and saw my instructor, and I actually feel better about the way I’m striking my irons coming into this week than I did going into Hawaii”, said Spieth, who is playing in Singapore next week. “You’ve got people out there like Einstein, George Washington – they just stood out and capitalized on their differences and showed the world a little different side”. But it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense when our group had caught up and it had no effect on the round.

So you knew when he took top spot at the European Tour, there were bound to be changes of the dramatic sort. He was told on the ninth tee that he was receiving a “monitoring” penalty.

Jordan Spieth says if he hadn’t won a major he’d place that above Olympic glory but at this point “a gold medal would be very, very special”. Leave your thoughts in the “Comments” section below.

Spieth began slowly, making par on his first five holes before birdies at six and nine.

“It was a bit of grind, more for my foot and hip than the knee, but I just have to take it easy and pace myself”, said the world No 5.

“Best start I’ve had here in years, possibly ever”, said Stenson, who logged runner-up finishes in Abu Dhabi in 2006 and 2008.

Players that are lagging will be closely monitored, but will not be warned.

“I think a major championship is the pinnacle of our sport”.

“It’s still a long way until Hazeltine, but if we can continue what we’ve been doing over this past year in young American golf, we’re going to go in and get in that team room and be pretty excited about who is next to us”. Sometimes we need to apply some common sense, especially when we are not out of position.

Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy is also in the UAE this week, but for him, it’s a much more routine stop-he’s a European Tour member who’s played in Abu Dhabi in each of the past eight years.

You would think the same of DeChambeau, but this disciple of Ben Hogan can not be judged so straightforwardly.

The win started a torrid run that culminated with Spieth slipping into a green jacket on Sunday afternoon at the Masters: his first major win. I keep saying there’s no reason why I can’t bring that confidence from the range and practice rounds into the real thing.