World No. 1 Tiger Woods ended his first-up encounter this year with Rory McIlroy trailing five shots behind his fellow Nike staff player.

McIlroy produced a Dubai Desert Classic storming effort of a nine under par 63 and in what was his equal lowest-ever round on the European Tour.

It was also just one shot more than his pro career best of a 62 he shot on the final day in capturing his first victory on the PGA Tour – 2010 Quail Hollow Championship.

Tiger Woods a study of concentration and determination on route to a first round 68. (Photo – Eoin Clarke/www.golffile.ie)

Woods heads into day two of the $US 2.5m event having shot an opening round 68.

However after hitting just half of the 14 Majlis course fairways Woods confessed he’s struggling to play a game off the tee that he has long been familiar.

“With my last coach it was always aim left and push block but we tried to get out of that and play a cut but now it’s just harder to aim right knowing that I have to cut it,” said Woods.

“Last year all my misses were in the left rough.  They were all straight balls.  The were hit perfectly dead straight because I was aiming there.

“Now trying to aim more down the right side of the fairway is a little harder knowing that’s how my cut is now.

“When I get right I hit these bullet cuts that go forever.  That’s the reason why at the beginning of my round today. I was starting to get into that old pattern.  None of them were over-hooked.  They just start left and stayed there.”

And while Woods had talked earlier in the week of wanting his efforts on a Tuesday to be better than Monday, and Wednesday better than Tuesday and so on, he confessed there was not the hint of rust in his game given he has played just four competitive rounds since hosting his World Challenge event last month at Thousand Oaks in L.A.

“No, there is no rust because that’s how you want to be,” he said.

“I never want to be good on a Monday only on Sunday.  Thursday through to Sunday is when you are trying to get your game right.

“Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday is just prep and getting ready, and getting organised so that I know what my patterns are going to be for the week.

“And that’s the aim of the game and especially after last Saturday’s round.  I’m just getting my patterns organised and more efficient than they were today.”