Victor Perez hits a tee shot during a match. File

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

Perez takes first round lead at DP World Tour Championship Dubai: Victor Perez shot a five under par 67 to take a one-shot lead at the opening round of the DP World Tour Championship on Thursday.

While Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre, past champion Matthew Fitzpatrick and South Africa’s Erik Van Rooyen were all tied in the second, after having posted equal scores of under par 68s.

Former Race to Dubai winners Tommy Fleetwood and Martin Kaymer, Finland’s Sami Välimäki and England’s Tyrrell Hatton posted 69s to stay in the third and keep pressure on Perez.

Frenchman went out in one under and quickly picked up shots on holes ten and 11 before further gains on 14 and 17 saw him get to five under, and he plans on maintaining an aggressive approach for the rest of the week.

"In the position I’m in, I have nothing to lose and I have everything to gain,” said Perez, who sits in sixth place in the Race to Dubai. The Race to Dubai is a season-long competition to crown the European Tour’s No 1 player.

The competition culminates in Dubai at the end of the season.

"For me it’s a ‘go-for-it’ mentality that I have to keep for four rounds. Obviously, you still have to play proper golf and hit the right shots and sometimes take your medicine, but again, I have nothing to lose, so it’s a matter of making a lot of birdies.”