Rory McIlroy tried out his new swing for the primary time competitively whereas taking pictures a 5-under 67 within the first spherical of the Abu Dhabi Championship on Thursday.
It left the No. 3-ranked McIlroy 5 pictures off the lead held by Ryder Cup teammate Tommy Fleetwood within the first occasion of the European tour playoffs.
In search of a victory that will clinch a sixth yearlong Race to Dubai title, McIlroy returned to aggressive motion after a month away — most of which he spent shut away in a studio hitting balls towards a display seeking a extra sturdy swing that may maintain up in pressure-filled moments.
McIlroy did not make too many errors in his first spherical, save for pushing his tee shot on the par-3 seventeenth and failing to stand up and down for par. That was his solely bogey, whereas he made six birdies, together with a tap-in on the final.
“It felt OK,” McIlroy mentioned, wanting relatively unimpressed. “I’ve gotten comfy doing this little rehearsal earlier than I take the membership again. It felt fantastic. I most likely wasn’t as imaginative on the market. I used to be hitting very straight pictures.
“I hit a pair the place I did not see the image of what I used to be attempting to do with the ball flight as a result of I used to be considering just a little an excessive amount of about what I used to be doing with the swing.”
McIlroy mentioned the shortage of wind and the beneficiant dimension of the fairways at Yas Hyperlinks made his job simpler and allowed him to deal with his modified swing.
“I’m fairly lucky that it is a good week to return again,” he mentioned.
Fleetwood, the next-highest-ranked participant within the decreased 70-man area at No. 10, was extra within the zone, making eight birdies to go along with an eagle on the par-5 second gap in a bogey-free spherical of 10-under 62 that tied the course document. The Englishman took the solo lead for the primary time by rolling in a birdie putt from 10 toes at No. 18.
“Putted superb,” Fleetwood mentioned. “Felt like I learn the greens so effectively. Stunning tempo management and hit numerous good putts and began holing them.”
Fleetwood was a stroke away from Thorbjorn Olesen of Denmark and Johannes Veerman of the USA, with LIV Golf’s Tyrrell Hatton in a share of fourth place after taking pictures 64 with Laurie Canter, Paul Waring and Francesco Laporta.
McIlroy, who was in a tie for 18th, has an enormous lead within the Race to Dubai standings and may win what was previously the Order of Benefit title with an occasion to spare with a victory in Abu Dhabi. That might take some suspense out of the season-ending World Tour Championship in Dubai subsequent week.
He has completed a season because the European No. 1 5 occasions and may tie the late Seve Ballesteros with a sixth. Colin Montgomerie has a document eight.
The Related Press and Discipline Degree Media contributed to this report.
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