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- US amateur David Ford, Portugal’s Ricardo Gouveia and Australian David Micheluzzi all fired opening round 65s to sit top of the leaderboard
- Northern Irishman McIlroy won the season-ending DP World Tour Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates in November for his third successive Race to Dubai title
DUBAI: Rory McIlroy got his 2025 season underway with a two-under-par 70 first round at the Dubai Desert Classic on Thursday, five shots off the three leaders.
US amateur David Ford, Portugal’s Ricardo Gouveia and Australian David Micheluzzi all fired opening round 65s to sit top of the leaderboard.
Northern Irishman McIlroy won the season-ending DP World Tour Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates in November for his third successive Race to Dubai title.
And making his first start in two months, the 35-year-old hit four birdies for two bogeys at Emirates Golf Club.
“Yeah, pretty scrappy,” McIlroy said.
“Actually I felt I played probably better the first eight holes where I was one over compared to the last 10 where I was three under.
“It was a bit scrappy. First competitive round of the year. First competitive round in a while. Definitely not as comfortable as I was in practice and coming in here.
“But it’s nice to get a card in your hand. I got it around and got it in in a couple under, which is nice, and didn’t put myself out of the tournament, which is the main thing.”
McIlroy is aiming for his third successive Dubai Desert Classic win, and fifth overall.
Spanish rival Jon Rahm carded a 69 after an eagle on the par-five 10th mixed with four birdies and three bogeys.
McIlroy and Rahm are in a battle of the No.1 players on the DP World Tour and LIV Golf Tour at the $9 million Hero Dubai Desert Classic.
On the first day of action, Ford, who plays University golf in the United States and was part of their winning Walker Cup side in 2023, eagled the tenth — his first hole of the day — and mixed six birdies with a single bogey.
“I try to keep my expectations low,” added Ford, 22, who sits sixth on the World Amateur Golf Rankings.
“I know where my game is at right now and I have got a lot of people around me believing in me which is really helpful going into this week.”
Micheluzzi had seven birdies in a flawless opening round with Gouveia firing eight birdies and one bogey as he chases his maiden DP World Tour win in his 190th event.
World No.8 and 2022 champion Viktor Hovland of Norway had six bogeys and three birdies in a three-over round of 75.
Dubai-based world No.10 Tommy Fleetwood of England carded 71 and American phenomenon Akshay Bhatia had an opening 69.