World No. 3 Rory McIlroy made a strong return to competitive golf on Thursday, carding a 5-under 67 in the first round of the Abu Dhabi Championship. The solid start comes after the Northern Irishman took a month away from tournament play to overhaul his swing in pursuit of more consistency under pressure.
McIlroy’s round, played in stifling heat at Yas Links, featured six birdies against a lone bogey. The dropped shot came at the par-3 17th, where he missed the green right off the tee and failed to get up and down. But he immediately bounced back, tapping in for a closing birdie at the 18th to post a strong opening score.
Chasing a Sixth Race to Dubai Title
McIlroy enters this week with a chance to clinch a record-tying sixth Race to Dubai title, which would match the mark set by Colin Montgomerie. A victory in Abu Dhabi would go a long way in securing that crown ahead of next week’s season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.
When asked about his objectives this week, McIlroy commented:
“I’m here to try to win the golf tournament, first and foremost. But if I can do that, then it puts me in a great position heading to Dubai next week to try to cap off what would have been a really nice year.”
Leaders Set Early Pace
Despite the strong start, McIlroy finds himself four shots adrift of early co-leaders Thorbjorn Olesen and Johannes Veerman after the morning wave. Both players fired scorching rounds of 9-under 63 to set the clubhouse target.
According to sources close to the McIlroy camp, the intensive swing sessions focused on:
- Shallowing the club in transition
- Improving body rotation through impact
- Refining wedge and short iron trajectories
McIlroy is seeking to rebound from a 2023 season that, while solid by most standards, fell short of his lofty expectations. Despite collecting a record third FedEx Cup title, the 34-year-old was left rueing missed opportunities at the majors, particularly at the Open Championship and U.S. Open where he held good chances on Sunday.
The Road Ahead
Can McIlroy’s retooled swing propel him back to the winner’s circle this week in Abu Dhabi? While there’s a long way to go, the 5-under start certainly provides a strong platform to build upon.
McIlroy will be back in action for Friday’s second round, where low scores are again expected to be abundant on the receptive Yas Links layout. With Olesen and Veerman setting a torrid early pace, McIlroy may need to keep his foot on the accelerator to stay within striking distance heading into the weekend.
One thing is for certain – all eyes will be on the four-time major champion as he continues his quest for a third Abu Dhabi title and a fast start to his 2024 campaign. With so much on the line in both the short and long term, McIlroy appears laser-focused on the task at hand. Golf fans should be in for quite a treat watching his progress unfold.
Other notable scores from the early starters included:
- Sebastian Soderberg: 8-under 64
- Nedbank Challenge winner Tommy Fleetwood: 6-under 66
- Padraig Harrington: 5-under 67
Reworking the Swing
McIlroy revealed earlier this week that he spent three weeks after the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship sequestered in a golf studio, hitting balls and reworking his swing without even looking at the flight of his shots. The aim was to build a more repeatable action that can hold up under the gun.
According to sources close to the McIlroy camp, the intensive swing sessions focused on:
- Shallowing the club in transition
- Improving body rotation through impact
- Refining wedge and short iron trajectories
McIlroy is seeking to rebound from a 2023 season that, while solid by most standards, fell short of his lofty expectations. Despite collecting a record third FedEx Cup title, the 34-year-old was left rueing missed opportunities at the majors, particularly at the Open Championship and U.S. Open where he held good chances on Sunday.
The Road Ahead
Can McIlroy’s retooled swing propel him back to the winner’s circle this week in Abu Dhabi? While there’s a long way to go, the 5-under start certainly provides a strong platform to build upon.
McIlroy will be back in action for Friday’s second round, where low scores are again expected to be abundant on the receptive Yas Links layout. With Olesen and Veerman setting a torrid early pace, McIlroy may need to keep his foot on the accelerator to stay within striking distance heading into the weekend.
One thing is for certain – all eyes will be on the four-time major champion as he continues his quest for a third Abu Dhabi title and a fast start to his 2024 campaign. With so much on the line in both the short and long term, McIlroy appears laser-focused on the task at hand. Golf fans should be in for quite a treat watching his progress unfold.
