TYNEDALE golf star Chris Paisley made a great start to his season by carding a top 10 finish.

The former Stocksfield junior finished tied seventh in the 2021 European Tour opener, the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.

Finishing his round on -10, he was eight strokes off eventual tournament winner Tyrrell Hatton, of Harleyford Golf Club.

After an opening round of par 72, Paisley had work to do to make the cut but he followed it up with a -4 round of 68 which catapulted him into ninth spot.

Safely through, a third round of 69 kept him in the top 10, with Northern Ireland golfer Rory McIlroy leading the pack at that point.

Paisley jumped up to tied seventh after a final round of 69, the final placing earning him 157,974.94 euros.