“It is always great getting off to a good start,” said Goosen. “Last week (in the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship) I did too and then didn’t really do much after that, so hopefully this week I can keep going.”

Alongside Jimenez in second place is Nick O’Hern as the Australian shot up the leaderboard after an excellent round at the Doha Golf Club.

O’Hern made a steady start before he carded three successive birdies from the seventh. He then enjoyed a good run coming home, continuing his faultless round whilst adding another birdie and an eagle on the 18th.

India’s Shiv Kapur is on five under after he too improved on an slow start to card five birdies coming home and complete an impressive round.

Defending champion Henrik Stenson is one shot behind after recovering from two bogeys on his first and second holes and is joined by American Edward Michaels , Nick Dougherty and Australian Richard Green.

South African Ernie Else, looking to regain the title here and become the first person ever to win the tournament twice, carded a three-under-par 69.

But it was a disappointing start to the tournament for Darren Clarke and Chris DiMarco.

Clarke was looking to make a good progress in his first European Tour event of the year but it failed to materialise on the first day as he was unable to make a single birdie, instead carding bogeys on the eighth, 15th and 18th to finish three over par.

DiMarco did only slightly better as three birdies on the fifth, 10 and 18th were undone by four bogeys.

Last week’s Abu Dhabi Golf Championship winner Paul Casey made an indifferent start as he carded a par 72 while Paul McGinley is one under.