Royal Dublin’s Niall Kearney birdied three of his last five holes to open with a two-under 70 in the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters.

After making three of four cuts to start the season in South Africa, two of them in DP World Tour events, the Dubliner (34) is tied 26th at Doha Golf Club, six shots behind Spain’s Pablo Larrazábal.

Scores

The Barcelona native took full advantage of the calm morning conditions to post an eight-under-par 64 for a two-stroke lead over Denmark’s Marcus Helligkilde, Frenchman Romain Langasque, Poland’s Adrian Meronk and India’s Shubhankar Sharma.

Kearney sandwiched a birdie three at the second between bogey sixes at the first and 10th to be one-over-par before making three birdies in a row from the 14th to turn his day around.

But it was the opposite for Clandeboye’s Jonny Caldwell, who finished his front nine with four birdies in five holes before coming home in three over for a 71 that left him tied 41st.

Cormac Sharvin made four birdies and six bogeys in a 74 to lie two strokes outside the projected cut on two-over.

Helligkilde, who topped the Challenge Tour’s Road to Mallorca Rankings last year, carded four birdies in his final six holes to join that group in a tie for second, with two players – Scotland’s Ewen Ferguson and Englishman Robert Rock – a shot further back in a tie for sixth place on five under par.

Defending champion Antoine Rozner, who won his second DP World Tour title at Education City Golf Club last year, is a shot further back in a tie for eighth.