Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy started his bid to equal Scotland's Colin Montgomerie's record of eight season-long crowns with a three under par opening round at the DP World Tour Championship.
The world number two birdied two shots in his first four holes before playing back into trouble on the fifth hole.
Wind conditions proved difficult throughout the day, forcing players to exercise patience and adjust their strategy accordingly.
McIlroy's final scorecard featured five birdies and two bogeys, leaving him two shots behind early tournament leader Joost Luiten.
New Zealand's Cameron Smith finished alongside McIlroy with a mixed round of four birdies and three bogeys to record a 71.
Joost Luiten, the lowest-ranked player in the field, posted five under par but cancelled two of his birdies with two bogeys on the back nine to settle for a 67.
Luiten finished one shot clear of Denmark's Jacob Skov Olesen, who also faced challenging conditions.
Other contenders including Tommy Fleetwood from England struggled significantly, posting an opening round of 76.