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 photographs 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 may 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.
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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 fairly unimpressed. “I’ve gotten snug doing this little rehearsal earlier than I take the membership again. It felt effective. I in all probability wasn’t as imaginative on the market. I used to be hitting very straight photographs.
“I hit a pair the place I did not see the image of what I used to be making an attempt to do with the ball flight as a result of I used to be considering somewhat an excessive amount of about what I used to be doing with the swing.”
McIlroy mentioned the dearth of wind and the beneficiant dimension of the fairways at Yas Hyperlinks made his process simpler and allowed him to concentrate on his modified swing.
“I’m fairly lucky that it is a good week to come back again,” he mentioned.
Fleetwood, the next-highest-ranked participant within the lowered 70-man subject 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 wonderful,” Fleetwood mentioned. “Felt like I learn the greens so nicely. Lovely tempo management and hit plenty of 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 Advantage title with an occasion to spare with a victory in Abu Dhabi. That may 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 Subject Stage Media contributed to this report.
