McIlroy hits ‘season-best’ to earn flying start at Dubai
RORY McILROY admits his new trophy display is driving his desire for glory as the Northern Irishman’s best shot of a stellar season capped a superb opening round in Dubai.
A three-wood approach from 286 yards to the 18th finished five feet from the pin to set up an eagle and give McIlroy an eight-under par 64 – his lowest score in the DP World Tour Championship that he won in 2012 and 2015.
That left the world No.2 just a shot off the lead held by France’s Mike Lorenzo-Vera who shrugged off a lingering illness to hit the back nine in 30 with six birdies in the last eight.
Spain’s Jon Rahm, champion two years ago, is three shots off the pace after a 66 with Tommy Fleetwood and fellow Englishman Tom Lewis another stroke back.
Rahm and Fleetwood are among five players who can end the week as European No.1 but Austria’s Bernd Wiesberger maintained his place at the top of the projected Race to Dubai standings with a battling 70.
McIlroy said: “It’s possibly the best shot I’ve hit all year.
“It was right on the limit. But as soon as I hit it I knew it was perfect. It was right out of the middle. Great to finish like that and yeah, it was a great round of golf.”
McIlroy has won four times this season and returned to his new home in Florida from his latest success at the HSBC Champions in China.
He added: “I walked into our sort of game room and up on the wall were all the trophies. It’s a nice reminder sometimes. All that stuff had been in storage for a year and a half, so it was the first time I’d seen the Claret Jug and US Open trophy.
“It’s cool but also a great motivator to think, I’m still pretty early in my career and I’ve done quite a lot but I still want to do so much more.”