DP World Tour, McIlroy’s great start in Dubai

Rory McIlroy’s 2024 on the green is off to a great start. The Northern Irishman in the United Arab Emirates closed the first round of the Dubai Invitational at the top of the standings. The Northern Irishman, world number 2, with a score of 62 (-9), thanks to a bogey free attempt with nine birdies, heads the leaderboard with a two-stroke advantage over the German Yannik Paul, 2nd with 64 (-7) in front to the South African Thriston Lawrence, 3rd with 65 (-6).

DP World Tour, results

In the DP World Tour tournament, a good start for Francesco Molinari. The blue, after the opening 18 holes (out of a total of 72), is 10/o with 68 (-3). For the Turin native, six birdies, a bogey and a double bogey.

On the Dubai Creek Resort course (par 71), regrets for Guido Migliozzi. The Vicenza native, 20/o with 70 (-1), paid dearly for two bogeys in the final (on holes 17 and 18 respectively, where his third shot ended up in the water).

For him, one eagle, four birdies and five bogeys, three of which came in the second part of the match. Tommy Fleetwood smiles. The Englishman, with a try of 66 (-5) supported by five birdies, without errors, is 4th alongside the Dane Thorbjorn Olesen.

The event, which offers 2,500,000 dollars, of which 425,000 will go to the winner, is played in the first three rounds with a pro-am formula (one professional and one amateur). While the last round will be reserved only for the 60 big names in the competition.

In May 2009 Rory McIlroy described the Ryder Cup as an exhibition. McIlroy said: “It’s not a big goal for me. In my big plan it’s not such a big event.” McIlroy continued, “Golf is an individual sport, you have individual goals, and my goals are to win tournaments for myself”.

European team captain Colin Montgomerie responded by saying that the Ryder Cup is not an exhibition and never will be. It is a special and unique event. The following year, in 2010, McIlroy regretted what he had said and said that the Ryder Cup is definitely not an exhibition.

In May 2011 he was criticized for missing The Players Championship. This was a controversy because 48 of the world’s top 50 were present, apart from McIlroy and Lee Westwood. On July 28, 2011, after being criticized on-air by commentator Jay Townsend for his on-court skills during the first round of the Irish Open, McIlroy wrote on Twitter telling Townsend to “shut up” and calling him a “failed golfer”, and that “his opinion has no value.” Rory later stated that his comments were in defense of his caddy J.P. Fitzgerald who Townsend blamed for McIlroy’s skills on the course since 2008.