DP World Tour Championship Leaderboard
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Rory McIlroy continued his love affair with Jumeirah Golf Estates as he made the perfect start to his quest to win a first Rolex Series title at the 2021 DP World Tour Championship, Dubai.
In 10 appearances over the Earth Course, the Northern Irishman has two wins and five other top fives, with a worst finish of 20th.
An opening 65 moved him to -7 at the European Tour season finale but he will need to be at his very best all week to hold off an elite chasing pack, with the title of European Number One on the line.
Race to Dubai Rankings in Partnership with Rolex leader Collin Morikawa -4 68, is looking to become the first American to lift the Harry Vardon Trophy and he was just three shots back.
South African Christiaan Bezuidenhout 67, Dane Joachim B. Hansen 67 and Finn Tapio Pulkkanen 67 were McIlroy's nearest challengers at five under, a shot clear of Morikawa and nine others.
McIlroy's last European Tour victory was at the 2019 WGC-HSBC Champions but he has won twice on the PGA Tour this season - including last month when he beat Morikawa by one shot at the CJ Cup @ SUMMIT - to move back inside the top ten on the Official World Golf Ranking.
The former World Number One has recently made some changes to his team and is happy to be taking control of his game.
"I've been coming back here now for 12 years and it flies by," he said. "I think a lot of experience around this place, a lot of great memories and memories of great shots and great putts.
"I feel I'm a big boy now. I've been around the block a bit and if I have problems or struggles, I should be able to sort them out myself. Instead of looking to others to fix my problems, I'm going to take responsibility a bit and that's what I did after the Ryder Cup.
"I've always been a very visual player. I always see shots. I don't know how much the shot tracer was out there today but people probably see me playing shots again. That's how I've always played golf and seen the game and I just need to get back to seeing it like that again.
"I think sometimes when you don't play your best, I maybe don't set my standards high enough sometimes. They are high but getting into contention in one Major this year isn't good enough for me.
"I've done way better than that before and I know I can again, especially with how I'm playing and feeling like I've got my golf game back, basically. So I'm excited for those four events next year and excited about the road ahead because I really feel like I'm on the right path."
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