Rory McIlroy has posted a strong opening round at the Dubai Desert Classic.
Posting a 65, the Northern Irishman sits tied for fifth, behind a list of golfers including David Horsey, Anthony Wall, Tyrrell Hatton, and Chris Paisley.
McIlroy said of his round:
‘I’m delighted with how it’s going and particularly with my short game
‘I’m saving myself on the occasions when I hit bad shots, so it means I’m not leaving a lot of shots out there.’
McIlroy had returned to the course in Abu Dhabi last week, where he shot 18 under par across four rounds, including a blistering 63.
‘I’ve worked hard since then and obviously any time you shoot 63 it’s going to give you plenty of momentum’
It seems the form has continued, as he fired a bogey-less round this morning to sit in a good position for the rest of the European Tour tournament.
The 28-year-old had been away from competition for over 100 days, and has been taking little time to settle back into that familiar groove. McIlroy had a strong back nine, birdieing four of the last eight holes to put himself in an advantageous position for the rest of the weekend.
