Rory McIlroy was left to rue a poor finish to his opening round in the defence of his Hero Dubai Desert Classic title.
In his quest for a record fourth victory at Emirates Golf Club, McIlroy got off to a fantastic start, scoring four birdies in the first nine holes. Despite a bogey on the first hole, he quickly recovered with a birdie on the second.
Unfortunately, things took a turn for the worse when the world number two three-putted the sixth hole, followed by a chip mishap on the seventh that cost him another shot. To add to his disappointment, he bogeyed the eighth hole, resulting in a disappointing one-under-par 71.
As a result, McIlroy finds himself four shots behind the leaders, which include 2018 winner Li Haotong, England’s Andy Sullivan, American Cameron Young, and Denmark’s Rasmus Hojgaard.
Li failed to make the cut or withdrew from his previous 16 events in 2023. However, he managed to secure a 14th place finish in the recent Dubai Invitational. He continued his impressive performance by scoring seven birdies and two bogeys in his round of 67.
According to the three-time DP World Tour winner, “I feel like I played just as well as I did last week.”
He added, “I’ve been working hard during the winter and it’s starting to pay off. It’s hard to believe that it has already been six years since my victory here.”
I have so many amazing memories, and I really hope that I can keep creating some magic here.
Sullivan’s performance was quite a pleasant surprise. In his first appearance in 2024, the former Ryder Cup player managed to score a flawless 67.
“This is my first event of the year, so naturally, I was feeling a bit nervous,” Sullivan shared.
You can never really gauge how well you’ve performed in practice. You could be playing exceptionally, but you won’t know until you actually compete in tournament rounds.
I felt like I settled into the round nicely. I didn’t have a great start, but as I made my way around the course, my swing improved and I felt more confident to take on challenging shots. My putting also became really impressive. I’m extremely satisfied with my performance.
Initially, it seemed unlikely that Young would be in contention for the lead after bogeying the ninth hole and finishing the front nine with a score of one over par. However, he managed to birdie the 10th, 13th, 16th, and 17th holes, and then made an incredible 50-foot eagle putt on the last hole.
Young expressed his satisfaction with his performance, stating, “I had a great game.” He acknowledged that scoring on the front-nine was challenging, but he was pleased with his performance on the back nine. Young emphasized the importance of patience during the front nine and allowing the game to unfold naturally. He was thrilled to finish strong with birdies and an eagle on the last hole, describing it as a remarkable achievement.
Richard Mansell from England was among a group of seven players who finished at four under par. Former world number one Adam Scott and Dubai Invitational winner Tommy Fleetwood were one stroke behind them.
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