- McIlroy is seven under par after superb opening round
- Graeme McDowell and Adam Scott three shots back on 68
But for an infamous fairway wood shot, which splashed into a Dubai pond to background screams of shock, Rory McIlroy would already have a 2022 victory to his name. The scale of anger writ large across McIlroy’s face as he exited the Desert Classic will linger with anyone who witnessed it.
McIlroy’s superb opening round of 65 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational suggested he remains of a mind to right that Emirates Club wrong. McIlroy marched into an early lead where he has won once before, in 2018. Thoughts immediately and understandably turned towards what it would mean for McIlroy should he claim a tournament before an annual trip down Magnolia Lane.
