Hero Dubai Desert Classic: Rory McIlroy returns to finish opening round with a flourish

A birdie on the 7th was followed by an eagle on the 8th at the Majlis Course as world No 1 cards a 66 round for 6-under par and a share of the lead

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  Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland and Tommy Fleetwood of England smile on course during Day Two of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic at Emirates Golf Club on January 27, 2023. Getty Images

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  Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland looks across the 9th hole during Day Two of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic. Getty Images

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  Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland retrieves his ball after holing his second shot for an eagle on the 8th hole at Emirates Golf Club. Getty Images

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  Rory McIlroy plays his second shot for an eagle on the 8th hole. Getty Images

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  Rory McIlroy reacts after shooting for an eagle on the 8th hole. Getty Images

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  Thomas Pieters of Belgium tees off on the 9th hole. Getty Images

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  Thomas Pieters of Belgium putts the ball. AFP

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  Thomas Pieters of Belgium tees off on the 8th hole. Getty Images

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  Patrick Reed of the USA looks on during the first round on the second day of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic. EPA

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  Min Woo Lee of Australia, Thomas Pieters of Belgium and Victor Perez of France walk from the 8th tee. Getty Images

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  Victor Perez of France throws a ball to his Caddie on the 9th green. Getty Images

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  Ludvig Aberg of Sweden tees off on the 8th hole. Getty Images

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  Tommy Fleetwood of England reacts ahead of a drop by the 9th hole green. Getty Images

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  Staff at Emirates Golf Club ready the course for Day 2 of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic after more overnight rain. All photos: Paul Radley / The National

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  A new water hazard has emerged next to the fifth hole on the Majlis Course.

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  A new water hazard has emerged next to the fifth hole on the Majlis Course.

Some were left questioning why Rory Mcllroy had left himself a four-foot putt to think about overnight, after the airhorn blew at Emirates Golf Club on Thursday evening.

His playing partner, Ryan Fox, had tapped his in from similar range after the horn had signalled bad light and stopped play. Others on the course opted to finish up holes from far greater distances than McIlroy had left.

The world No 1 gave an emphatic answer with an extraordinary finish to his opening round on the start of another weather-affected day at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic.

Having marched out to finish up at the 7th green, two hours after they initially had been scheduled to, the Northern Irishman promptly tapped in for a birdie that took him to 3-under for the tournament.

It was the first of just six shots in took him to finish his round. Playing two par-4s which rank among the hardest holes on the Majlis Course, McIlroy used just five shots to get home.

He drove into the wasteland on the right-hand side of the fairway at the 8th. Remarkably, he holed his approach for a rare eagle.

“I wouldn't say I'm the best fairway bunker player in the world,” he said.

“The desert is a little nicer, it's a little more packed down, so you get some better lies. All I was thinking about was catching it clean.

“My tendency out of those lies is to hit it a little bit heavy. As soon as I struck it, I knew it came out really nicely and it was right down the pin.

“Anything inside of 20 feet, I would have been happy with, so that was certainly a bonus.”

Buoyed by that unexpected bonus, he played the 9th in fine style, landing his tee shot in the centre of the fairway.

He fired his approach to four-and-half foot and, with Patrick Reed in sight, walking up the neighbouring 18th, promptly rolled in the putt. It meant he signed for a 66, and, at 6-under, had a share of the lead.

At the point at which McIlroy finished, his co-leader was Thomas Pieters. However, the Belgian bogeyed the final hole of his opening round.

Almost simultaneously, Reed was making eagle at 18 - meaning he joined McIlroy at the top of the leaderboard.

Hero Dubai Desert Classic Day 1

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  Rory McIlroy walks from the 3rd tee on the first day of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic at Emirates Golf Club on January 26, 2023 in Dubai. Getty

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  McIlroy tees off on the 3rd hole. Getty

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  McIlroy lines up a putt on the 11th green. Getty

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  McIlroy collects his ball from a pond during the first round. EPA

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  Rory McIlroy in action on day one. AFP

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  Tommy Fleetwood and Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland shake hands on the 7th green as play is suspended. Getty

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  Early leader Thomas Pieters of Belgium plays his second shot on the 13th hole. AP

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  Ryan Fox of New Zealand follows his ball on the 10th hole. AP