Everything you need to know from the opening day in Dubai.
Rory McIlroy got 2024 off to a perfect start, Yannik Paul was playing the long game, local residents flourished and Ryan Fox fought back on day one of the Dubai Invitational.
Here is everything you need to know from Thursday at Dubai Creek Resort.
McIlroy makes rapid start
Rory McIlroy made a stunning start to the defence of his Race to Dubai title as a bogey-free 62 handed him a two-shot lead. The Northern Irishman was teeing it up for the first time since being presented with his fifth Harry Vardon Trophy at the DP World Tour Championship and he returned to the United Arab Emirates looking for a sixth career win in Dubai, the place where he claimed his first nearly 15 years ago. His nine birdies saw him lead the way from Germany's Yannik Paul, with South African Thriston Lawrence at six under. "I didn't expect that," said McIlroy. "It didn't feel quite as good as that the first couple of days when I was here and hitting balls and playing the course. It was nice to get a card in the hand again and sort of feel the competitive juices flowing."
Tournament host leads team event
McIlroy was playing alongside event host Abdulla Al Naboodah and the business executive contributed an eagle and two birdies as the duo led the team competition at 13 under. "It was a very comfortable pairing and round of golf out there," said McIlroy. Paul and JJ Dudum were in second three shots back.
Paul thinking long-term
Paul was keeping his 2024 focus on long-term goals after two near-misses on the DP World Tour in 2023. The German was in contention to make the European Ryder Cup team right up until the closing stages of qualification and narrowly missed out on one of the ten PGA TOUR cards available via the Race to Dubai Rankings in Partnership with Rolex. He showed no ill effects from those disappointments, however, starting his 2024 campaign with a 64 and he was not finding it difficult to keep everything in perspective. "I always make a vision board for the year, for the career but also in my private life," he said. "I believe when you manifest it, it will come to you. Maybe not always right away but I think long-term, if you have a good mental state a lot of good things can happen."
Dubai delight for home heroes
Tommy Fleetwood and Thorbjørn Olesen may not be Emirati but they have both made Dubai home in recent times and certainly looked very much at home in carding rounds of 66. "I've always loved coming here," said Olesen. "I've had decent results in the past here, also. My family is very, very happy to be here. We have settled in very nicely. It's a great place, obviously, for golf but also for family and everything else. I enjoy my time here."
Fox shows fight
Ryan Fox was three over after 11 holes of his opening round but a hat-trick of birdies and a closing gain had him back in red numbers by the end of the day. And with amateur team-mate Greg Mondre contributing five birdies and a par, the duo were just four off the lead in the team event.
