McIlroy Looking To Secure 15-Year Career First – Win The First Event Of A New Year At Hero Dubai Desert Classic

1 year ago by Comments Off on McIlroy Looking To Secure 15-Year Career First – Win The First Event Of A New Year At Hero Dubai Desert Classic

…. Emirates GC, Dubai 

World No. 1 Rory McIlroy will take a three-shot lead into the final round of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic and seek to achieve a feat to have illuded him in 15-years, and that it is to win the first event of a New Year.

Despite thinning his second shot into the water guarding the final green, McIlroy will head a first Monday finish in the Rolex Series event leading by three shots at 15-under-par.

For 17 holes, McIlroy was at his best birdieing the opening four holes, and while producing eight straight pars, he moved clear of this rivals thanks to a hat-trick of birdies from the 13th and then advancing four clear with a birdie at 17.

McIlroy’s second shot into the water guarding the last quickly reminded us of a similar fate on Sunday of the tournament a year ago when he handed Norwegian Viktor Hovland the tournament.

Now a year on, McIlroy looks unstoppable to make it Pro win No. 36 and DP Tour World triumph No. 15.

And after the disappointment with his results in recent years in starting a New Year at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, his Dubai Desert Classic record of two prior victories (2009 & 2016) must place him great stead to become the first player in the 34-year history of the event to become a three-time champion.

“It would be nice.  I’ve sort of sat home watching Jon Rahm tear it up for the last sort of six weeks, and I felt like coming here, no matter what happened last night in San Diego, I want to try to come and play like the best player in the world,” said McIlroy.

“I have a nice opportunity to start the year with a win, and try to build off of that.

“I love this golf course. I love this tournament. You know, as you said, I’ve won here a couple of times.

“You know, this is my first start of the year. I don’t think I’ve ever won in my first start of the year. I had plenty of chances at Abu Dhabi down the road over the years, and never quite got it done. So tomorrow is a nice opportunity to try to do something that I’ve never done before”.

The England duo of Callum Shinkwin (67) and Dan Bradburg (68) share second place at 12-under and one clear of seven players including American Patrick Reed, who signed for 69 that included losing a ball up a palm tree but then, thanks to the use of a pair of binoculars that is allowed, he was able to identify a unique ‘arrow’ he places on his golf balls from where he eventually signed for a bogey.

“The only other time I’ve ever been in a tree was in Malaysia,” said Reed.

“Actually there’s a picture of Sergio and I underneath Kessler. He’s up literally in the palm tree looking at my golf ball. You know what, I hit that tee shot, I didn’t even see those palms. I felt like it was on a good line, just left of the green and I guess I just need to be a little more right or a little higher.

“You know, it’s an unfortunate break, but at the same time I hit the line solid. I hit it right down the line I was looking. That’s all you’re going to ask for. You’re going to get bad breaks once in a while. You just have to bounce back from them”.



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