Lowly-ranked Scottish player Scott Jamieson has taken the early lead in the star-studded Abu Dhabi Championship with a spectacular bogey-free nine-under-par opening round of 63.

The word No.336 Jamieson hadn't played competitively in eight weeks but quickly settled into the 2022 season on Thursday with nine birdies - four of them coming in a five-hole span at the start of his back nine and the final one coming from 12 feet at the par-5 18th.

Seeking a third win in his last four events, Viktor Hovland also started impressively with an eight-under 64 to lie one shot off the lead.

Hovland was in the marquee group with Open champion Collin Morikawa, and outplayed his playing partner by rolling in nine birdies on the undulating greens at Yas Links, a first-time host of this lucrative event on the European tour.

The Norwegian may well be the world's form player, having won back-to-back tournaments in Mexico and the Bahamas at the end of last year to climb to No.7.

Australia's two major hopes to take the title, Adam Scott and Min Woo Lee, missed the chance to have made more impressive starts.

Scott ended at two-under but bogeyed the par-five 18th and Lee was a shot behind after a couple of bogeys left him shooting a one-under 71.

Thomas Pieters was alone in third place after a 65, while defending champion Tyrrell Hatton was in a tie for fourth place after a 66.

The English player won the prestigious event last year when it was held at nearby Abu Dhabi Golf Club.

Morikawa, who won the Race to Dubai title last year, almost holed an approach from the fairway at his first hole before making birdie but that was one of the few highlights in his round of 73.

Rory McIlroy also got off to a poor start to his first event of 2022, bogeying his final two holes for a 72.