Golf:Rory McIlroy made a great start to the defence of his €1.7million Dubai Desert Classic title by opening with a four-under-par 68 to command a share of the six-player overnight lead at the Emirates Golf Club.
The Holywood star recovered from a bogey at the par four second by holing a 35-foot birdie putt at the next as he reached the turn in level par 35 in windswept conditions in the desert.
McIlroy’s back nine was the most productive as he carded no less than four birdies – 10th, 12th, 17th and 18th – to come home in 33 and make the ideal start to his only tour title to date.
“It was very important to start my defence with a good score, I would have taken anything under 70 looking at the scoring and conditions,” said the world number nine after his round.
“So to shoot 68 was very pleasing. When defending it’s nice to get off to a nice start, but there’s still a lot of golf to play.”
The 20-year-old shares the lead alongside Sweden’s Alexander Noren, South Africa’s Charl Schwartzel, India’s Jeev Milkha Singh, Italy’s Edoardo Molinari and Stephen Dodd from Wales.
In a truly international field Denmark’s Anders Hansen a fatigued Paul Casey from England, Spain’s Alvaro Quiros, Italian amateur Matteo Manassero and former champion Richard Green from Australia formed the chasing pack on three-under.
Darren Clarke was next best of the nine-strong Irish contingent on one-under, while fellow Ulsterman Graeme McDowell was a shot further back after his 72.
Damien McGrane and Gareth Maybin both shot one-over 73s, the same score as veteran American Tom Watson. Michael Hoey and Irish Open champion Shane Lowry struggled with the conditions to card 75s.
Matters were even worse for Peter Lawrie (77) but not as bad as Stephen Deane, the county Down native who is a teaching pro at the Emirates, for he was last of the 132 field after an 82.
“It is probably the toughest that I’ve seen the Emirates and I first played it in 2003,” said Schwartzel - Africa Open and Joburg Open winner - of the conditions.
“The wind was really blowing; visibility is not much with the sand and the dust. It was tough and you had to hit fairways with the way it is set up.”