Today's Edition
DUBAI (ALETIHAD)
Rory McIlroy declared his opening round of 66 as a “nice way to start the year” as he held a one-shot lead at the 2026 Dubai Invitational. The world No.2 made a rapid start with seven birdies and a bogey after 10 holes to send a daunting message to the rest of the field as he led by three shots at six under par.
His momentum stalled as he carded a dropped shot and seven pars to close his first round of the year in 66 and take the clubhouse lead at five under.
Matt Wallace rolled in four straight birdies around the turn to surge ahead at seven under, but two dropped shots and a double bogey saw him slip down the leaderboard. Scotland’s Connor Syme and Spaniard David Puig were McIlroy’s closest rivals at four under.
“It was good. I got off to a great start, played a very good first nine,” McIlroy said. “Then the wind got up a little bit and felt like that back nine was the trickier one.
“I made a silly bogey on three and then didn’t capitalise on the par-5 after that. So I felt like I left a few out on that side, but I played a really good nine holes of golf. Overall, a nice way to start the year.”
McIlroy, who started from the tee on the 10th hole, was inches from an opening eagle and followed up with a close-range birdie on the next. He slid a four-foot par putt by at the 12th, but responded with birdies on the next two.
The Northern Irishman took the outright lead at four under with another gain at the 17th and when he finished his front nine with another birdie, he was two shots clear. McIlroy was in relentless form as he rolled in his seventh birdie of the day, and third in a row, at the first.
However, Oliver Lindell closed in on the early leader courtesy of a stunning birdie blitz from the ninth to the 13th elsewhere.
McIlroy bogeyed the third to slip back alongside the Finn and share the lead at five under and they were joined by Julien Guerrier, starting on the back nine. The Frenchman briefly made it a three-way tie after his seventh birdie of the round at the sixth, but faded away with a double bogey on his final hole.
Wallace opened with a bogey, but bounced back with a birdie at the third and a chip-in eagle at the fourth. Another gain followed at the sixth before he surged to the summit courtesy of four straight birdies from the eighth to move two ahead at seven under.
The Englishman dropped a shot at the 12th, double bogeyed the 16th and closed with a bogey as his two-shot lead evaporated. Syme and Puig were one shot behind McIlroy at four under following five birdies and a bogey in their 67s.
