Karlsson has five tour wins and prize money of over €4.5m to his name, but has never really fulfilled the promise of his fifth place in the 1992 British Open or runners-up finish to Nick Faldo in the European Open that same year.

And he is down in 106th on this year’s money list without a single top-10 finish.

Kingston, chasing his first victory on the circuit, opened with a bogey, but then had five successive birdies, while Derksen, who pipped Ernie Els for the Dubai Desert Classic title last year, had four in a row from the 13th.

Fowler, aged 45 now and without a win since the 1993 BMW International, matched Kingston’s outward 33 despite a six at the 544-yard third. He had birdies at the second, fourth, fifth, seventh and ninth.

One behind were England’s Mark Roe, Spaniard Diego Borrego, Scot Andrew Coltart and Dane Soren Hansen, but some of the bigger names were struggling to get going.

Favourite Darren Clarke had to be content with six opening pars on the back nine, while Ian Poulter and Luke Donald were one over after five and Miguel Angel Jimenez, three times a winner this season and almost certainly part of the European side in September’s Ryder Cup, bogeyed three of his first six.

Padraig Harrington, like Clarke trying to be the first home winner of the title since John O’Leary in 1982, was among the later starters.

Earlier, just when Ben Banks, son of Genesis keyboard player Tony, thought his rookie season on the tour could not get any worse it did.

The 26-year-old from Surrey withdrew because of ill health just before he was due to tee off.

With Ryder Cup stars Nick Faldo, Jesper Parnevik, Thomas Bjorn and Phillip Price having also pulled out of the event – Faldo and Parnevik because of shoulder trouble, Bjorn and Price because of sickness – no more reserves were available and the event went ahead with 155 players rather than the standard 156.