After the first round of the Dubai Desert Classic, Rory McIlroy hit a double-bogey 7 and posted a disappointing round of 1-over 73, leaving him eight strokes behind surprise leader Francesco Molinari.
Playing the 18th hole as the ninth hole of the round, McIlroy’s chip approach rolled toward the front of the green and then rolled back into the water.
His playing partner Tommy Fleetwood also dropped a shot on the 18th, with the world No. 3 also posting an opening 73.
Rory McIlroy’s opening round of 1-over 73 included a double-bogey 7 on the 18th.
Tyrrell Hatton, the third in a star-studded group of Ryder Cup winners, shot a two-under 70 to start his defense of his Dubai title at Emirates Golf Club.
Days after making the mistake of losing to Nacho Elvira on the final hole at the Dubai Invitational, Shane Lowry also finished the opening day at 2 under.
Molinari, meanwhile, became an unexpected pacesetter, posting a 7-under 65 with eight birdies, including four in the first five holes starting at No. 10.
Francesco Molinari leads Dubai Desert Classic by two strokes with 7-under 65 on opening day
The Italian finished the round with three consecutive birdies all the way to the ninth.
The 2018 British Open champion sits at the top of the leaderboard, two strokes behind Michael Lindbergh, with the Swede one spot ahead of Joel Gerbach and JC Ritchie, who are tied for third at five under.
A number of players are at 3 under after the opening round, including Elvira, former Masters champion Patrick Reed and Wennie Ding, a 21-year-old former Arizona State University student from China.
Watch the Dubai Desert Classic all week long on Sky Sports. Live coverage will continue on Sky Sports Golf from 7.30am on Friday. Stream the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, LPGA Tour, and more now.
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