Duo tied at the top in RAK Golf Challenge

Ras Al Khaimah - Max Orrin and Pontus Widegren led the way in the opening round of the Ras Al Khaimah 2016 Golf Challenge

 Max Orrin and Pontus Widegren led the way in the opening round of the Ras Al Khaimah 2016 Golf Challenge, both firing seven under par rounds of 65 to share the lead at Al Hamra Golf Club.
The pair also now share the course record, which was yet to be established, and hold a one-shot advantage over the field in the penultimate European Challenge Tour event of the season.
The stakes this week are high for everyone, though Sweden's Widegren - currently 61st on the Road to Oman - is in particular need of a good performance, with only the top 46 in the Rankings qualifying for next week's season-ending NBO Golf Classic Grand Final.
"I'm trying to see it as a 'nothing to lose' situation," said the 26 year old. "There's pressure, but I really feel very loose this week - the goal is to qualify for Grand Final, but I'm just trying to stay loose and keep playing well.
"I started off quite well last week in China but I couldn't really keep it going, I maybe tried a little too hard to stay up there. But I like the weather here and I'm playing some good golf.
"It's been a very tough year, and I've struggled to put the scores together for a long time. That changed in Kazakhstan, and a top ten there is what got me into these tournaments at the end of the year to give myself a chance of keeping my card.
"I had a crazy start today, everything just went my way and went in. There's a few good opportunities early on, and I gave myself a lot of chances, and if you take advantage of it you can get off to a fast start.
"I managed to make some really good putts on the other holes as well, and it just kept going. I'm enjoying my time here, it's a lovely place and I like this kind of golf in the UAE."
"I managed to make some really good putts on the other holes as well, and it just kept going. I'm enjoying my time here, it's a lovely place and I like this kind of golf in the UAE."
Orrin, a two-time Challenge Tour winner, is also targeting a good performance as he looks to climb from his current position of 21^st into the top 16, who will all earn European Tour cards come close of play next week.
 The Englishman arrived in the northernmost of the United Arab Emirates on the back of a tied fourth finish in the Foshan Open and was pleased to have maintained that form. "I'm very pleased," said the 22 year old. "I played well last week, managed to put four good rounds together and finish strong, and I think Sunday gave me a lot of confidence so this week I'm just trying to do the same thing.
 "I'm coming into form at the right time. There's a lot of points up for grabs and this is the time of season where, if you haven't been playing well, you can have a couple of good weeks and it's job done.
 "That's the reality of it, and it's lovely if you can find form, so hopefully I can just keep playing the way I'm playing - I quite like the heat and I've done well here in the Middle East in the past, so hopefully I can just keep enjoying it tomorrow and the rest of the week."
Behind the leading duo are Scott Henry, Espen Kofstad, Romain Langasque and Martin Wiegele, all on six under par, with Rankings Number Four Ryan Fox one of six players one shot further back after an opening 67. Michael Harradine, the son of the course designer Peter, hit the first shot of the tournament and went round in 73, one over par, while Rayhan Thomas, a 16 year old amateur who has already won on the MENA Golf Tour, was one under par for his first 18 holes.
 Scores after round  1:
 65 P Widegren  (Swe) , M Orrin (Eng) , ? 66 E Kofstad (Nor) , M Wiegele  (Aut) , S Henry  (Sco) , R Langasque  (Fra) , ? 67 R Fox (Nzl) , G Porteous (Eng) , N Cullen (Aus) , J Hume (Irl) , G Forrest  (Sco) , ? 68 J Dantorp (Swe) , R Kellett (Sco) , S Forsström (Swe) , P Maddy (Eng) , R Santos  (Por) , J White (Eng) , M Kinhult (Swe) , J Edfors (Swe) , D Stewart (Sco) , D Law (Sco) , C Ford (Eng) , J Girrbach (Sui) , W Besseling  (Ned) , ? 69 M Lampert (Ger) , J Smith (Eng) , M Schneider (Ger) , S Jeppesen  (Swe) , C Selfridge  (Nir) , J Makitalo  (Fin) , P Oriol (Esp) , B Ritthammer (Ger) , M Søgaard  (Den) , C Blomstrand (Swe) , N Ravano (Ita) , A Rai (Eng) , J Stalter (Fra) , B Poke (Den) , ? 70 O Stark (Swe) , L Gagli  (Ita) , S Fernandez  (Esp) , B Stow (Eng) , M Armitage (Eng) , A Saddier (Fra) , R Saxton (Ned) , M Delpodio  (Ita) , C Del Moral (Esp) , D Perrier (Fra) , R Enoch  (Wal) , J Heath  (Eng) , A Tadini (Ita) , S Tiley (Eng) , ? 71 V Riu  (Fra) , D Huizing (Ned) , D Gaunt (Aus) , D Van Driel  (Ned) , A Björk (Swe) , B Hellgren  (Swe) , J Lima  (Por) , M Ovesen (Den) , D Frittelli (RSA) , A Karlsson  (Swe) , P Angles  (Esp) , E Johansen  (Nor) , J Garcia Pinto (Esp) , R Thomas (am) (Ind) , ? 72 J Guerrier  (Fra) , T Lawrence (RSA) , P Mejow (Ger) , A Knappe (Ger) , J Van Der Vaart (Ned) , M Pavon (Fra) , M Nixon (Eng) , G King (Eng) , J Barnes (Eng) , K Eriksson (Swe) , J Senior (Eng) , J Sjöholm (Swe) , ? 73 T Murray (Eng) , G Hurley (Irl) , A Velasco (Esp) , M Tullo (Chi) , T Detry  (Bel) , S Brown (Eng) , O Farr (Wal) , E Dubois (Fra) , P Whiteford (Sco) , M Harradine (am) (Sui) , ? 74 C Sordet  (Fra) , G Migliozzi  (Ita) , M Trappel  (Aut) , A Pavan (Ita) , S Soderberg (Swe) , S Heisele (Ger) , K Samooja (Fin) , C Sharvin (Nir) , C Bouniol (Fra) , ? 75 S Walker (Eng) , ? 76 S Piaget  (Mon) , J Lando Casanova  (Fra) , P Dedek  (Cze) , ? 77 C Mills  (Wal) , ? 78 P Howard  (Eng) , J Shepherd  (Eng) , ? ** J Lara (Esp)