Advantage McIlroy in Abu Dhabi

Last updated: 26th January 2012

Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy got his season off to a great start as he shared the lead with Swede Robert Karlsson after the first day of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.

McIlroy and Karlsson both shot five-under-par 67s to grab a one-shot lead over another Northern Irishman, Gareth Maybin, France's Jean-Baptiste Gonnet and England's Richard Finch in what was a star-studded affair at Abu Dhabi golf Club.

Belgian Nicolas Colsaerts, Englishman Robert Rock and Scot Richie Ramsay shared fifth place on three under after rounds of 68.

A whole host of the world's best got their seasons underway in Abu Dhabi on Thursday, including Tiger Woods, who was satisfied with a first-round 70 that left him on two-under and only three shots off the lead.

World No 1 Luke Donald also started solidly enough with a one-under 71, though both he and Woods were outshone by their playing partner McIlroy on the day.

Elsewhere, Spaniard Sergio Garcia started with a 71 as well, though his score included a spectacular hole-in-one at the 12th, while Lee Westwood opened his 2012 campaign with a level-par 72 that left him five back.

Less happy with his start will be defending champion Martin Kaymer, who looked very rusty as he struggled to a five-over-par 77 that leaves him well off the pace and in serious danger of missing the cut.

McIlroy wasn't at his ball-striking best on the day, but scrambled brilliantly for his seven-birdie, one-bogey round.

Starting at the 10th, McIlroy signalled his intent right from the get-go with three consecutive birdies from his second hole, the 11th. Bogeys at the 14th and 17th were to follow, but he got one of those shots back immediately at the par-five 18th to find himself two under at the turn.

A superb pitch from the rough to three feet at the 600-yard second took him to three under before two late birdies at the seventh and eighth got him to the five under mark. The birdie at the par-five eighth came in spite of the fact that he had twice been in the rough before he reached the green.

"I don't feel I drove the ball particularly well," McIlroy said before heading back to the range.

"I think it's just because your first competitive round of the season, card in your hand, you can get a little bit tentative or a little apprehensive."

Of playing with Woods and Donald, he said: "It makes you focus - 7.40 tee times on Thursday mornings don't usually get me that excited, but this morning it did."

Despite outscoring his playing partners, he was quick to point out that it was early days yet.

"It's only the first round of a tournament. If it was the last day and you both have a chance to win I would take a lot of pride from that obviously."

Woods admitted he had a hard time reading the greens, but was delighted with his ball-striking. His 70 contained 35 putts, evidence that he was in the groove from tee to green.

"By the second hole I was back into the rhythm of playing, which was good," said Woods. "I would like it to be good on the first hole, but after a break like that it's going to take a little bit!

His round contained no bogeys, but his problems on the greens meant he made only two birdies, at the fourth and 11th.

"I had a hard time reading the greens out there. The greens were pretty grainy and I just had a hard time getting a feel for it. Toward the end I hit some pretty good putts but overall I got fooled a lot on my reads."

Overall, though, Woods was left feeling positive about the state of his game.

"It felt the same as it had from Oz to the World Challenge to here," Woods said, and McIlroy agreed.

"Tiger definitely looked very good to me - he's got the ball under control," he said.

Karlsson mixed two bogeys with two birdies in his first four holes, but settled down to record five further birdies.

"I'm very proud of myself, I managed to turn something that wasn't very good into something very good on the scorecard and I'm very happy with that," he said.

"I think I have a little bit of work to do on the range this afternoon.

"It wasn't particularly good off the tee, but I managed to keep it together. I holed a lot of good par putts and when I got the chance, I knocked them in. I'm very, very proud of myself to turn something that wasn't particularly good into a good scorecard, so it was a good round.

"I don't think we are going to play many tournaments this year that's going to be a stronger field than this. I think we have the one, two, three, four in the world here, so it's a pleasure to play here, and the golf course is set up fantastic. It's a difficult test - the rough is very thick but the fairways and greens are fantastic."