Rory McIlroy began his 2025 season with a two-under-par 70 at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, calling his opening round “a bit scrappy.” Playing his first competitive event since November, the World No. Three mixed four birdies with two bogeys, admitting he felt “a little uncomfortable over some shots.”
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Reflecting on his break leading into the tournament, McIlroy said he had been focused on “having fun,” with time off including a trip to New Zealand and attending a Borussia Dortmund game. Despite the rust, he was pleased with his performance, noting, “I got it around today… didn’t put myself out of the tournament, which is the main thing.”
Starting on the back nine, McIlroy birdied the 10th but bogeyed both the 12th and 14th. However, he bounced back with a chip-in on the seventh and birdies on the second. “I think it’s a great set-up,” he said of the course. “But it really tests you off the tee… if you miss a green, it’s obviously very tricky.”
McIlroy acknowledged his short game being key, saying, “I did a good job of scrambling today… made a lot of key up-and-downs.” However, he added, “I don’t want to have to rely on my short game the rest of the week like I did today.”
Main image: David Cannon / Getty Images
