Day one digest: 2020 Golf in Dubai Championship presented by DP World

Everything you need to know from the opening day at Jumeirah Golf Estates - Fire Course.

Andy Sullivan lives up to course name, early leader sets new course record, raining birdies and UAE National Day.

Everything you need to know from the first round of the 2020 Golf in Dubai Championship presented by DP World.

Sullivan nearly makes 59 history

The Fire Course was making its European Tour debut this week and Sullivan lived up to the course name with a blistering 11 under par first round on Wednesday. He was flawless around Jumeirah Golf Estates as he carded 11 birdies and came within a whisker of becoming the second player to card a 59 in European Tour history. After picking up his 11th shot at the seventh - he started on the back nine - he needed to go two under in the final two holes to join Oli Fisher in the history books. Sullivan narrowly missed a lengthy birdie putt at the eighth and needed to hole out in two at the ninth. His approach left him with a seven foot putt for a 60 but he pushed the effort left of the cup. However, he still produced a wonderful round of 61.

Raining birdies in Dubai

During his stunning opening round of the Golf in Dubai Championship presented by DP World, Sullivan enjoyed a trail of birdies which saw him fly to the top of the leaderboard just before the turn. He rolled in four successive birdies from the 15th to wrap up his front nine in style, sitting at the summit at six under. The Englishman was not finished there, he picked up his fifth shot in a row at the first before holing a huge birdie putt at the next to make it six successive gains. Marc Warren also got on the birdie trail when he rolled in five straight gains from the 12th as he moved into contention at eight under.

Ross Flusher

Ross Fisher enjoyed a stellar back nine at Jumeirah Golf Estates as he came home in 29, and it was almost better than that. He reached the turn at two under before holing lengthy birdie putts at the difficult tenth and 11th. The 40-year-old then made it a hat-trick of gains at the next before holing an eagle putt at the 13th. A superb approach from the bunker at the 17th saw him move to eight under before he found the rough with his tee shot at the last. This was his next shot...

Fisher could have climbed to solo second but his eagle putt missed the left edge of the cup as he finished the back nine in seven under par and signed for a 63 alongside Frenchman Antoine Rozner and Matt Wallace.

Thomas Pieters' 'bad' shot

Thomas Pieters is playing in his first event in nearly two months but still managed to score a five under 67 at the Fire Course. Down the 17th hole, he was not happy with this approach shot. I would be delighted with that effort!

Golf in Dubai Championship presented by DP World celebrates UAE National Day

Wednesday marked the 49th UAE National Day as the new tournament got under way in Dubai. Jumeirah Golf Estates will host the season-ending double header - on the Fire Course this week before heading next door to the Earth Course for the 2020 DP World Tour Championship, Dubai. To celebrate the national holiday, Emirati invitational golfer Ahmed Skaik was given the honour of hitting the opening tee shot and went on to record a round of 76.