Golf – Abu Dhabi Golf Championship update:Rory McIlroy showed no signs of rustiness from his winter break after the Holywood star moved directly to the business end of proceedings on the opening day of the €1.5million Abu Dhabi Golf Championship.
Like most of the players who dine at the top table, McIlroy was afforded an extended winter break while others lower down the pecking order have already been scrambling for euro in places like the South African sunshine in recent weeks.
As it is McIlroy chose the desert and Abu Dhabi Golf Club to make his first competitive appearance of the new year in the first tournament of a three-leg gulf-swing on the European Tour, culminating in the Dubai Desert Classic in a two-week when the 20-year-old defends his title.
After today’s opening six-under 66, McIlroy clearly has designs on adding to that and only tour title he has won to date.
In a day of low scoring, where over half of the 126-man field matched par or better, McIlroy carded no less than eight birdies with his only blemish coming by way of a double-bogey at the 11th.
At six-under the highest-ranked Irishman in the field (10th in the world) is joined by the likes of Spain’s Sergio Garcia, early pacesetter Stephen Dodd and Rhys Davies from Wales, who McIlroy played Walker Cup with in 2007.
The chasing pack find themselves one shot adrift of the leading trio on seven-under. They are the English pair of Ian Poulter and Richard Bland plus South African Keith Horne, who all carded impressive opening 65s.
Shane Lowry was next of the seven Irish players in the field this week and the Irish Open champion gave a good account of himself with an opening four-under 68 to be inside the top 20.
Darren Clarke, runner-up in last week’s Joburg Open, and Graeme McDowell both shot two-under 70s, one better than Peter Lawrie (71) while Michael Hoey shot 72.
Gareth Maybin and Damien McGrane were way off the pace and near last as they shot 75 and 79 respectively.