Matt Wallace made a solid start at the Dubai Desert Classic on a day of low scoring.

The Moor Park professional opened the tournament with a first round three-under-par 69 today.

This left him in a tie for 42nd - a distant seven shots behind leader Jamie Donaldson.

Wallace got off to a fast start as he birdied three of his first four holes.

But the Pinner golfer handed shots back on the sixth and ninth holes.

His back nine contained no dropped shots and he birdied the par five 13th and short par four 17th.

It was a disappointing day for Callum Shinkwin after an opening three-over par 75.

The Bushey golfer got off to a poor start bogeying his first hole and dropped another shot on the 13th hole.

His first birdie of the day came at the 17th and another one on the fifth hole brought him back to level par.

But Shinkwin ended his round badly with a bogey at the eighth before dropping two shots on his final hole.