Mcilroy proves greatest show on Earth
⮞ Ulsterman in control with 65 at World Tour Championship ⮞ Former world No 1 chasing third win on course he loves
Rory Mcilroy might not think much of Greg Norman’s latest role, but there can be no doubt he approves of the Australian’s design work. Indeed, he underlined his love of the Earth Course with a first-round 65 that thrust him into the lead of the DP World Tour Championship.
There is an irony in the European Tour contesting its glittering finale to the season on a layout created by Norman 13 years ago. After all, the circuit – along with the PGA Tour – is doing everything it can to dissuade the top players from being lured to the Saudis’ mooted rebel tour. And the CEO of that venture happens to be Norman himself.
Mcilroy has long been against the formation of an F1-type series that will rival the traditional tours, and when asked here on Tuesday if anything had occurred that had inspired him to change his mind, he replied: “No, there’s been a select few individuals who have come on board that have only hardened my view even more.”
Mcilroy did not mention Norman by name, but the inference was clear. He is not a fan.
In contrast, this place means the earth to him. Mcilroy has won here on two occasions – both times scooping the Race to Dubai title as a result – and is a collective 147 under par. That is a staggering 46 shots better than anyone else. The greatest thing on earth does not begin to describe it.
“I’ve always played well here, even going back to when [Lee] Westwood won in 2009,” he said. “I had a chance then – I’ve always been up there. And, in truth, this did feel like an easy 65. When you’re six under through eight and you shoot seven under you feel like you left a few out there. I guess it’s swings and roundabouts. I’m not going to complain about shooting 65.”
Mcilroy was three under after two holes, birdieing the first and eagling the second. The rescue club on the latter was vintage Mcilroy. “I was 261 [yards] away, back into the wind. I hit my rescue about 260, 265, but I flushed it,” he said. “If it had been calm conditions, it might have gone more like 270 or 275. It was nice to make that [12-foot] putt. A great way to start.”
It is difficult to equate that freeflowing picture of rhythm with that frigid figure of uncertainty who played so poorly on the first two days of the Ryder Cup seven weeks ago. Mcilroy bounced back from that disappointment by winning his next event, the CJ Cup in Las Vegas. By then, he had stepped back from coach Pete Cowen and was facing his issues head on
“I’m a big boy now. I’ve been around the block and if I have problems or struggles, I should be able to sort them out myself,” he said. “Instead of looking to others to fix my problems, I’m going to take responsibility.
“That’s what I did after the Ryder Cup. Put my head down and spent a lot of time just on the range and figuring out, ‘OK, what is it I do well and what do I need to get back to’.
“I’ve always been a very visual player. I always see shots. I don’t know how much the shot tracer was out there today, but people probably saw me playing shots again. That’s how I’ve always played golf and seen the game, and I just need to get back to seeing it like that again.”
On seven under, Mcilroy is two clear of Finland’s Tapio Pulkkanen, South African Christiaan Bezuidenhout and Joachim B Hansen, the Dane who won here on the adjacent Fire Course on Sunday.
World No2 Collin Morikawa is in the group on four under and must now be the overwhelming favourite to make history as the first American to win the European Tour’s order of merit.