Vijay Singh trails Keith Horne by two - Abu Dhabi Golf Championship

Vijay Singh shot a 4-under-par 68 Thursday in the first round of the inaugural Abu Dhabi Golf Championship, leaving him two strokes behind surprise leader Keith Horne of South Africa.

Argentina's Ricardo Gonzalez and Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand were also two strokes back.

Five others were three strokes off the lead -- Charl Schwartzel, Ross Bain, Peter Gustafsson, David Lynn and Henrik Stenson.

"It was pretty tough out there as the winds picked up. It was really gusty, but a 68 is not a bad start," said Singh, who opened with a birdie on the 548-yard 10th -- his opening hole.

Singh finished sixth Sunday in the Sony Open in Honolulu, and lost a playoff the week before at the Mercedes Championships in Hawaii.

"I am really pleased with my efforts," he said. "It was one of the few rounds without a bogey. That's another pleasing aspect of the round. I never got into any trouble and when I did, I got out of it quite well."

Horne upstaged many of the big names.

"I just tried to play a good round of golf without thinking too much about what's happening around me," he said. "Obviously the course was new to everyone and that was an advantage."

Horne gets to play a few PGA European tour events when they are co-sanctioned with the Asian and South African tours. He tied for fifth at last month's South African Airways Open.

Many top names were just off the pace.

Spaniards Miguel Angel Jimenez and Sergio Garcia were four strokes behind after rounds of 70. American Chris DiMarco shot a 71, while John Daly, Colin Montgomerie, Ian Poulter and Paul Casey had 72s. Thomas Bjorn and David Howell each finished at 1-over 73.