Rory McIlroy is among six players tied for the lead at the Dubai Desert Classic today, after the first round got under way in blustery conditions at the Emirates Golf Club.
The Ulsterman hit a bogey and five birdies - two of them on the 17th and 18th holes - to finish four-under-par and find himself tied with India's Jeev Milkha Singh, Wales' Stephen Dodd, Italy's Edoardo Molinari, Sweden's Alexander Noren and South Africa's Charl Schwartzel.
Schwartzel, current leader of the Race to Dubai, was the only player to get around without dropping a shot, hitting four birdies and no bogeys, while Dodd, who started on the tenth, hit two bogeys on the 14th and 16th, though he got a birdie on the 18th to maintain parity with the leaders.
McIlroy told Sky Sports News: "I put in a really good finish and I'm happy about that," admitting "I'm playing well."
The 20-year-old continued: "I'm very comfortable with where my game is at the moment, and I'm obviously comfortable on this golf course." It was at this event that McIlroy claimed his maiden win last year.
"I don't want to sound cocky, but I feel as if I'll go very close," McIlroy added.
Paul Casey had an encouraging start to the tournament, lying a shot behind the leaders on three under after carding five birdies, though he also picked up a pair of bogeys on the 5th and 6th hole. Amongst the other players on the same score is Italian amateur Matteo Manassero, and Denmark's Anders Hansen.
England's Ross Fisher is two-under-par, as is Asian Tour champion Thongchai Jaidee. And even Colin Montgomerie isn't out of it, the Scot coming home one-under-par with a bogey on the 9th that he immediately followed with two birdies on the 10th and 11th. Montgomerie shares that score with fellow Scot Richie Ramsay, Germany's Martin Kaymer, Spain's Pablo Martin and Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke, amongst several others.
Lee Westwood finished on par after an erratic round that saw the European No. 1 pick up four birdies - all of which were nullified by four bogeys. Westwood fared slightly better than eight-time major winner Tom Watson, who finished one-over-par after seeing his four birdies undone by three bogeys - and a double-bogey on the 14th.
Maybe now Watson's got the measure of the course, we can expect him to shake off the errors in the next three days - if nothing else, the 60-year-old still did better than fellow countryman Mark O'Meara, who hit six bogeys and a birdie to finish five-over-par.
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