Rory McIlroy surges into Dubai Invitational lead with first-round 62

Rory McIlroy made a stunning start to the defense of his Race to Dubai title as a bogey-free 62 handed him a two-shot lead after Day 1 of the inaugural Dubai Invitational.

The Northern Irishman was teeing it up for the first time since being presented with his fifth Harry Vardon Trophy at the DP World Tour Championship, and he returned to the United Arab Emirates looking for a sixth career win in Dubai, the place where he claimed his first DP World Tour nearly 15 years ago.

His nine birdies saw him lead the way from Germany's Yannik Paul at Dubai Creek Resort, with South African Thriston Lawrence at 6-under.

Multiple DP World Tour winners and Ryder Cup stars Tommy Fleetwood and Thorbjørn Olesen were four shots off the lead.

The 2022-23 season saw McIlroy win twice on the PGA TOUR, at THE CJ CUP in South Carolina and the Genesis Scottish Open (a co-sanctioned event between the TOUR and DP World Tour), while also finishing in the top 10 at three of the four major championships. He finished fourth in the FedExCup standings.

He said coming into this week that a fifth major title was his main goal in 2024, but a sixth Race to Dubai triumph is also at the forefront of his mind as he chases down Colin Montgomerie's record of eight.

"I didn't expect that," McIlroy said. "It didn't feel quite as good as that the first couple of days when I was here and hitting balls and playing the course. It was nice to get a card in the hand again and sort of feel the competitive juices flowing.

"This is a nice week to do some extra practice and put some work in so that I feel a bit more ready not just for next week ... but also going into the bulk of the season.

"I surprised myself a little bit but hopefully more of the same over the next few days," he continued. "I think around the creek you have to miss it in the right spots. There's some water here and there. I think I did a good job today of managing my misses and missing on the right side and when I did make a hit shot, I managed to take advantage of it."

Paul set the early pace with an approach to inside 5 feet at the 11th and a gain after laying up on the 13th.

He dropped a shot at the next after leaving his ball in the bunker but holed from 19 feet at the 16th and left himself less than 10 feet at the 17th and 18th to make it a hat-trick and turn in 32.

McIlroy also started on the 10th and he put on an approach masterclass, putting his second shots inside 10 feet on holes 11, 15, 17 and 18 to also turn in 32 and share the lead, the highlight being a smart shot from an awkward stance and lie on the 15th.

He led alone after holing a lengthy putt on the first but Paul hit back from 17 feet on the second and reclaimed the top spot as he took advantage of the short par-4 third.

McIlroy also made the most of the third and got up-and-down on the par-5 fourth, before Paul holed from the fringe at the sixth to join him at 7-under.

Paul then parred his final three holes, but McIlroy was not finished, leaving himself just 5 feet on the seventh and 8 feet on the ninth to lead by two.

Lawrence was another player to start on the 10th, and he picked up shots on the 11th, 14th, 18th, first, third, fourth and sixth, making a single bogey on the second.

Englishman Fleetwood was bogey-free in his 66, while Olesen added an eagle and a bogey to four birdies in his round.

Fellow Dane Nicolai Hojgaard, American Sean Crocker, South African Zander Lombard and Spaniard Adrian Otaegui were at four under.

In the team event, McIlroy and Abdulla Al Naboodah led the way at 13-under, three shots clear of Paul and JJ Dudum.