The two time Omega Dubai Desert Classic winner is looking good early on in the season's first World Golf Championships event.
The Northern Irishman fired an eight under par 63 to take a one shot lead over Dustin Johnson.
Meanwhile Justin Thomas and Matt Kuchar are two strokes back on seven under par.
Meanwhile 14-time major winner Tiger Woods is on level par, eight shots off the pace.
McLaren's Piastri fastest in second practice at Australian Grand Prix
Oscar Piastri delighted home fans by putting McLaren top of the timesheets in second free practice for the Australian Grand Prix on Friday as struggling Aston Martin nursed both cars through laps during the session.
Ferrari's Leclerc fastest in first practice at Australian Grand Prix
Charles Leclerc has led a Ferrari 1-2 at the top of the timesheet in the Australian Grand Prix's first practice, while defending champion Lando Norris suffered a gearbox issue as Formula One's new engine era launched with a spate of reliability problems.
President Trump honors Inter Miami, Lionel Messi at White House
Lionel Messi has drawn high praise from President Donald Trump as the Argentine superstar and his Inter Miami team were honoured at the White House on Thursday for winning the MLS Cup last year.
India beat England in thriller to reach T20 World Cup final
Jacob Bethell's thrilling century was not enough as India pipped England by just seven runs to seal a spot in the T20 World Cup final in a high-scoring thriller in Mumbai.
EFL Championship playoffs expanded to six teams
The EFL Championship promotion playoffs will expand from four teams to six starting in the 2026-27 season, the English Football League said on Thursday, in a bid to increase the number of competitive games in the season's closing stages.
UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has received a phone call from Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., during which they discussed the situation in the region amid ongoing military escalation.
Dubai Humanitarian says it remains fully prepared to adapt and scale its support in response to the needs of its member organisations and partners.
The UAE air defences said it has intercepted 9 ballistic missiles detected in the region on Friday. Of the 112 drones detected, 109 were intercepted with 3 falling within the country's territory.
