Dubai: Rory McIlroy took an early stranglehold on the Dubai Desert Classic on Thursday to underline that he is back to the kind of form that brought him two major titles and the world number one spot.
“Sublime golf” was how playing partner, and defending champion, Stephen Gallacher described the eagle and seven birdies display that put the Irishman three clear of the field early on with a 63.
The 24-year-old McIlroy was less effusive, describing his morning`s efforts as “good” although he later upped the assessment to “definitely up there” with the best rounds he has shot “in a while”.
In any case it was his best round in tournament play since a 63 in the first round at Hong Kong in November 2010.
It was all in stark contrast to this time last year when he and Tiger Woods, the top two players in the world, played together and both missed the cut in their 2013 season openers in nearby Abu Dhabi.
This time they enjoyed each other`s company with a joint total of 13 under par for the day, Woods having a bogey-free 68.
The difference appears to be that McIlroy has finally come to grips with his new Nike clubs, his business affairs have settled down and he is making marriage plans with former tennis world number one Caroline Wozniacki.
And there is also the small matter, he adds, of sheer hard work over the winter break.
“I realise that I`ve worked really hard in the last couple of months to get to this point and I`ve realised what I needed to work on, what I need to base my game on and around.
“Okay it may feel easy and these scores may look somewhat routine out there, but there`s a lot of hard work that goes on behind the scenes to actually be able to go out and shoot scores like this.”
It would take a brave man after Thursday`s showing to bet against McIlroy going on to make it two wins and a second place in his last three tournaments, especially on a course like the Majlis in Dubai, which, along with St Andrews, he feels the most comfortable on.
Many believe that with this kind of form he may be able to reclaim the world number one spot this year, having lost it to Woods last year. He is currently in sixth.
But McIlroy indicated that adding to his haul of major titles – he won the 2011 US Open and the 2012 PGA Championship – is his priority.
“If I finish second in every tournament from now to the end of the year, I would be world number one,” he said.
“I won`t be happy. I wouldn`t have won. So obviously it`s a goal. It`s a goal to get back there, but I have a few, I guess, more important goals to concentrate on.”
AFP
First Published: Thursday, January 30, 2014, 18:22
Hard work pays off for "sublime" Rory McIlroy
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