Race to Dubai: Victor Perez has one-shot lead in European Tour season finale

Victory would see Victor Perez become European number one as long as current race leader Patrick Reed does not immediately end in second -5 V Perez (Fra); -4 M Fitzpatrick (Eng), E Van Rooyen (SA), Robert MacIntyre (Sco); -3 T Hatton (Eng), T Fleetwood (Eng), M Kaymer (Ger), S Valimaki (Fin) Selected others: -2 P Reed (US), L Westwood (Eng), H Stenson (Swe); E D Willett (Eng), C Morikawa (US)

Victor Perez has a one-shot lead after the opening round of the DP World Tour Championship .

Perez, aiming to become the first French player to win the Race to Dubai, took a five-under 67 in the European Tour season finale.

Matthew Fitzpatrick of England, South African Erik van Rooyen and Robert MacIntyre of Scotland are in second place at four bottom.

Race to Dubai leader Patrick Reed, 30, is three shots adrift from Perez.

The 2018 Masters champion aims to make history by becoming the first American to win the European Tour's Race to Dubai.

He is currently leading the leaderboard, and a win on the Jumeriah Golf Estates Earth Course will earn him "a career goal".

Reed & # 39; s playing partner, Tommy Fleetwood, returned with a three-under-69, sitting next to fellow countryman Tyrrell Hatton, German Martin Kaymer and Finnish Sami Valimaki in a draw for fifth place.

Fleetwood is one of four players who, alongside Reed, Lee Westwood and Collin Morikawa, can end the year as European number one with victory.