Rory McIlroy underlined his storming start to the season with an eight-under 64 in a fog-hit first round of the US$2.5 million Dubai Desert Classic on Thursday.
Out early, he finished the day a shot clear of Sweden’s World No. 8 Robert Karlsson, with Spain’s Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano a stroke further back.
Tied on 67 were France’s Gregory Havret and Alexander Noren of Sweden.
PHOTO: EPA
But after a 2 hour, 40 minute delay to the start of play because of morning fog, almost half of the 126-strong field had yet to complete their rounds when darkness fell.
Those included pre-tournament favorites Ernie Els, Sergio Garcia and Henrik Stenson.
The 19-year-old Ulster prodigy McIlroy is currently lying 10th in the European Tour’s Race to Dubai chart following three top 10 finishes in his last five starts, although a first tour title remains elusive.
The former world amateur No. 1 opened in style from the 10th with four birdies in his first six holes against one bogey to reach the turn in 33.
He then birdied the third, fifth, seven and ninth holes to complete a barnstorming start that gave him the lead in the clubhouse.
“It was actually nice to be delayed as I was wanting to do some work on my putting,” McIlroy said, adding that his score could have been even better. “I only played the par-fives on the back in level par and that is where you are supposed to make your scores. So to be able to play those holes level and play the others in eight-under is a really good effort.”
Karlsson, last year’s European Tour Order of Merit winner had three birdies on the back nine and four more on the front nine to kick start his season after a disappointing tie for 37th at last week’s Qatar Masters.
He described his round as “solid, if not spectacular.”
“I got my chances, I took most of them and I still missed a couple of chances,” Karlsson said. “It was obviously a great day for scoring as well, with greens fairly soft and not much wind. There will be a few good scores out there.”
Also in early with good scores on four-under were South African Louis Oosthuizen and English trio Paul Casey, Justin Rose and Graeme Storm.
Oosthuizen tied for second both in Doha last week and in Abu Dhabi the week before that, a tournament won by Casey.
“It’s not a bad start,” Casey said. “McIlroy has clearly gone out there and gone nuts and shot a very impressive 64, which I didn’t think anybody would do today to be honest because the rough is extremely thick. In places you would say it’s US Open thick.”
Of those still to complete their rounds, South Africa’s Charl Schwartzel was best placed at six-under through 14 holes.
Three-times winner Els was one-under after 12 holes, world No. 2 Garcia was two-under after 11, the same as playing partner and 2007 winner Stenson.
Newly appointed Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie, meanwhile, failed to get the boost to his form he had hoped as he struggled to one-over through 12 holes.
■FBR OPEN
AFP, SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA
Australian James Nitties fired a six-under 65 on Thursday to claim a share of the lead alongside Lucas Glover in the first round of the US$6 million FBR Open.
Play was halted by darkness with nine players still to complete their rounds.
“I hit it pretty solidly, obviously,” said Nitties, who reeled off four birdies in a row from the third. “I putted well today, fixed a little bit of my putting issues last week.”
“I didn’t really get into too much trouble all day and if I did, I’d sort of make the smart decision and it sort of worked together well,” added the Aussie, who missed the cut in his first two starts this year.
After his only bogey of the day, Nitties bounced back with a birdie at eight, then closed out his round with birdies at 17 and 18.
Glover, who started his round at the 10th, notched seven birdies and a bogey.
After birdies at 13, 15 and 16, he suffered his only bogey of the day at the par-four 17th.
“Any course like this, you hit it in the wrong place, you’ve got to be careful,” Glover said. “But they grew it [the rough] up on us this year and it looks like some of the fairways are pinched in a little bit. Either that, or it’s just higher in places.”
Glover responded with a birdie at 18, then added three more birdies coming home.
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