DUBAI // Rory McIlroy shook hands with the dignitaries and the sponsors, grabbed his driver in competition for the first time in six weeks and proceeded to blitz through the opening five holes at the DP World Tour Championship.
The world No 1 and freshly minted Race to Dubai champion skipped off the fifth green at the Earth course with a fourth birdie, which moved him to within one shot of the lead.
By the time he had finished his work on Thursday, McIlroy had added another two birdies – at 15 and 16 – to take what has become his customary position: the head of the leader board.
This time, though, he has Shane Lowry, his colleague and comrade, for company.
Nevertheless, the pre-event butterflies, however minor, did not affect him one iota.
Not bad for someone whose last tournament outing was on October 5.
“You should take six weeks off more often,” was the suggestion as McIlroy made his way to sign for a 6-under 66.
“It’s like I’ve never been away,” he responded.
Absence had obviously made the heart grow fonder. McIlroy had implied as much at about 9.30am, when he conveyed to his 2.2 million Twitter followers that he had been waiting to get back on a tournament tee for a while.
“Just under 3 hours until I hit my first competitive golf shot in 6 weeks,” read the post. “To say I’m excited is an understatement. #imready”
He most certainly was. McIlroy freewheeled through the first five holes, converting three birdie putts of four feet or less, not to mention a lip out, for three, on the par-4 third.
If a block of pars between six and 14 threatened to derail golf’s runaway train, then success at 15 and 16 set the wheels in motion again. Despite the lay-off, it all seemed so straightforward.
“When golf’s like this, you wonder how you could ever play so badly,” he said.
Poor play has never really been a problem here. The 66 matched McIlroy’s best run around Earth since the tournament’s inception in 2009, swelling an already out-of-this-world record at the season finale.
After 21 rounds, the 2012 champion stands at a barely believable 80-under par. It is unrivalled, too, proving that, while Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg battle it out this week down the road in Abu Dhabi, on this track McIlroy is by far the slickest.
“I’m really comfortable on this golf course,” he said. “I can be aggressive and take advantage of my length. I feel like it really suits my play.”
Ditto for those in pursuit. Chief among those chasing McIlroy and Lowry are Thorbjorn Olesen and Henrik Stenson, two guys with an intimate knowledge of the surroundings.
Olesen, the first round’s low guy until a double-bogey on 16 hauled him back to 5-under, spends a significant amount of time at Jumeirah Golf Estates. It certainly showed.
“It feels like a second home golf course for me, really,” said the Dane, who shares second place alongside Scotland’s Richie Ramsay. “I know the place and where to hit it from the tee. It was a really solid day.”
Solid could describe Stenson, in more ways than one. The robust Swede, a shot further back following a 68, is no stranger to these parts either, having triumphed 12 months ago with a tournament-record total of 25-under. In June, he signed a two-year partnership with the venue.
Partnered with McIlroy – the pair rank one and two in the seasonal standings – Stenson’s scorecard was slightly more chequered: seven birdies offset by three bogeys. His illustrious companion helped retain focus, though.
“He’s had a stellar season and, yeah, he’s going to be a tough one to beat here this week,” Stenson said of McIlroy. “So of course I needed to bring some game if I wanted to be at the races. I’m pleased with my performance and pleased that I’ve got him within arm’s length.”
jmcauley@thenational.ae
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