Defending champion Rory McIlroy was cruising on his opening 9, parading across the Majlis Course on the Emirates Golf Membership as if he owned the place.
Having began on the again 9, McIlroy carded 4 birdies, made zero bogeys, and made the flip at 4-under. He was in management and even held a share of the lead.
However then he rapidly dropped a shot on the par-4 1st gap, making a bogey after air-mailing the inexperienced. He caught a flier-lie out of the tough, as lacking the golf green proved pricey.
After which, in true McIlroy trend, he bounced again with a birdie on the par-4 2nd after driving the inexperienced.
That was his final birdie of the day, as his troubles started on the par-4 sixth.
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McIlroy smashed a drive down the center of the golf green, then hit his second shot safely on the inexperienced of the robust 484-yard par-4. He proceeded to three-putt from 35 toes, dropping him again to 3-under.
At the very least his three-whack was not from two toes, which price him dearly finally week’s Dubai Invitational.
McIlroy’s brief recreation failed him once more on the subsequent gap, the par-3 seventh. After lacking his tee shot wanting the inexperienced, the Northern Irishman hit a poor chip, thus main to a different bogey.
He couldn’t get off the bogey practice on the par-4 eighth, as one other awful chip led to a different dropped shot. Out of the blue, McIlroy sat at 1-under, 4 pictures off the lead.
The Northern Irishman completed his spherical with a par on the tough par-4 ninth, however he was fortunate to keep away from one other bogey. After hitting his tee shot into the bunker to the appropriate of the golf green, McIlroy hit his second shot to the appropriate of the inexperienced.
He confronted one other tough chip shot, however this time, the four-time main winner knocked it to 4 toes and tapped it in for a one-under 71.
However, McIlroy may have his work lower out to get again into rivalry.
“I believe it’s going to be robust the subsequent few days,” stated Nicholai Højgaard, McIlroy’s taking part in associate who carded a 4-under 68 Thursday.
“The greens nonetheless have a comfortable aspect in sure locations, however the tough is up. It’s tough. It will get a bit windy on the market, and with a number of doglegs, it’s robust to carry the fairways. It’s taking part in the best way it ought to be.”
Cameron Younger, Haotong Li, Andy Sullivan, and Rasmus Højgaard lead at 5-under after spherical one. McIlroy, in the meantime, sits alongside Brian Harman, Luke Donald, and a slew of others at 1-under.
Jack Milko is a golf workers author for SB Nation’s Enjoying Via. You’ll want to take a look at @_PlayingThrough for extra golf protection. You’ll be able to comply with him on Twitter @jack_milko as effectively.