Rory McIlroy tightens his grip on the Race to Dubai title after an impressive opening round

“I don’t want to sound like I’m super disappointed, but I feel like I left a few out there. I missed a few short ones.”

“Overall, it was a really strong start on a golf course that I feel very comfortable on and that historically I have played very well on.”

Only English duo Tyrrell Hatton and Marco Bing can prevent McIlroy from winning the season-long competition, formerly known as the European Tour Order of Merit, but they are joint 22nd and 46th respectively after the opening round.

McIlroy’s Ryder Cup teammate, Tommy Fleetwood, is one stroke behind at seven under par.

The 2025 Tour Championship winner hit five birdies over six holes on the back nine, helping him leapfrog McIlroy on the leaderboard.

“I feel like it was a really good day,” Fleetwood said.

“I didn’t think it was that easy. There were some really good results. There were some really tough shots on the back nine and I felt like I got into a really good rhythm.”

“I drove it as well as I’ve driven it all year. It was a really good day of driving. I made two or three good saves, which is key.”