Bunker blaster McIlroy’s miracle shot
Wonder shot gets him off to flying start
Rory McILroy’S early difficulties in his opening round of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship yesterday could best be summed up by the precarious lie facing him on his 12th hole.
After another poor tee shot in an increasingly erratic driving display had left his ball stationed just above a fairway bunker, McIlroy f ound himself with one f oot positioned in the sand and the other outside, with his bodyy tilted at a sharp angle.
Already four strokes behind ind his playing partner rickie ie Fowler, who was striking g the ball with impressive fluency, he appeared destined to fall further adrift. As McIlroy said later: ‘It was obviously a stroke I rarely practise, and so I was just relying on feel and instinct in the hope of getting the ball somewhere close to the green.’
While it would be stretching things to say what happened next was an early candidate for shot of the year, there will not be many better played this month.
Hooding the clubface (keeping it more upright to make the ball travel lower and further), McIlroy somehow managed to cover the 100- or- so yards separating him from the green to finish 12 feet from the hole.
Instead of the likely bogey, he rapped home the birdie putt.
Th That t was all ll it tookt kt to shakeh off the early sloth. He went on one of those thrilling rampages that became so familiar last summer.
By the time he finished, McIlroy had gone from level par after 11 to signing for a 67, having registered four more birdies to leave him three strokes off the pace set by course specialist Martin Kaymer.
What must Fowler have been thinking? one minute there was clear daylight between himself and McIlroy and for once it was Fowler who was pressing ahead.
By the close, the personable American didn’t even have the satisfaction of a one-shot ‘victory’ over his friendly rival — dropping his only stroke on his final hole for a 67 of his own. Afterwards, Fowler grinned and said: ‘There’s just no getting rid of him or shaking him off, is there?’
He knows, however, it’s not all bad news. ‘rory is comfortably the best golfer in the world. If I’m playing alongside him all the time, I must be doing something right,’ he added.
Actually, he’s doing plenty right, as he continued from where he left off last year to complete a notable debut round in the Middle East.
Fowler acknowledged afterwards that watching McIlroy progress to become the complete player while embracing a global schedule had fuelled his own ambition to pursue a similar itinerary.
‘I l i ke travelling and seeing different cultures anyway but I think a further plus is that it helps you become a more rounded golfer,’ said the 26-year-old.
As for McIlroy, he was ‘delighted with the score but l ess than pleased with how I arrived at it’.
Accordingly, after lunch he was to be found on the practice ground, ironing out what will surely prove to be merely early- season kinks with his driver. For the rest, it must be ominous that even when he has a rare bad day with his most potent weapon, his short game rescues him to the extent he still shoots five under par.
US open champion Kaymer, three times a winner of this event, again showed his liking for these parts by hitting 10 birdies.
Not only is he defending one major this year, but two more will be held on courses where the formidable German has won.
Kaymer holds a one-stroke lead over the promising 22-year- old Belgian Thomas Pieters but Henrik Stenson, who signed off last year with a victory in Dubai, could only manage a 76.
Justin rose spoiled a good front nine with a flurry of bogeys for a 73, while Englishman Tyrrell Hatton — who came to prominence last year as the only other player after robert rock not to wear any headgear — breezed round in 66.
Paul Lawrie put his injury woes behind him as he shot a fourunder-par 68.
But there was a sense of relief as the Aberdonian talked about a scorecard which contained five birdies — i ncluding three in succession on the back nine.
‘The neck and shoulder injuries l ast year only l et me play 16 events,’ said Lawrie, who almost shot a hole-in-one at the par three 12th. ‘And of those tournaments, I probably was only fit for five or six. But today out there I felt fine.’
Compatriot Marc Warren carded a 69, while Scott Jamieson and David Drysdale opened with 70s. But richie ramsay (74) and Chris Doak (76) will struggle to make the cut.