Oosthuizen, Larrazabal set the pace in Qatar

Louis Oosthuizen of South Africa hits a ball out off the bunker on the eighth hole during the second round of the BMW Masters 2015 golf tournament at Lake Malaren Golf Club in Shanghai, China, November 13, 2015. REUTERS/Aly Song

(Reuters) - South African Louis Oosthuizen shot a first-round seven-under-par 65 in windy conditions at the Qatar Open on Wednesday to share the lead with Spain's Pablo Larrazabal. Former British Open champion Oosthuizen made seven birdies at Doha Golf Club to make an excellent start in his bid to win his first tournament of 2016, a feat he has achieved in four of the last five years. "I like windy conditions," Oosthuizen told the European Tour website. "If it gets really strong, then it gets difficult. "There are a lot of cross-wind shots, where you're not sure if it's in or a little down, so you need to have that wind map out and handy." Former Ryder Cup player Nicolas Colsaerts of Belgium was among a group of players one shot further back. Defending champion Branden Grace of South Africa and 2014 Qatar winner Sergio Garcia carded opening rounds of 70. (Reporting by Ed Osmond; editing by Toby Davis)