LAST UPDATE | 18 Jan

RORY MCILROY IS four shots off the lead after his opening round of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, a slump in his back nine seeing him drop down the leaderboard.

McIlroy finished on one-under after a 71, he is currently in a tie for 30th with Li Haotong, Andy Sullivan, Cameron Young, and Rasmus Hojgaard leading the way on five-under rounds of 67.

There is a five-way tie for second a shot back, including Adrian Meronk and Nicolai Hojgaard, while Alex Fitzpatrick, Adam Scott and Joaquin Niemann are part of  the group on three-under along with Tommy Fleetwood, who was last week’s winner of the Dubai Invitational. 

McIlroy began in blistering fashion. He started his round on the 10th and was four-under at the turn, picking up shots on the 10th, 13th, 16th and 18th. He bogeyed the 1st, before getting the shot back on the 2nd, but the damage was done on his closing stretch, with three bogeys on the spin between the 6th and the 8th.

Tom McKibbin is level par after a round that featured two birdies and two bogeys.

In his first event of the year, Padraig Harrington shot a one-over round of 73.

Open champion Brian Harman is alongside Brian Harman on one-under while Bernd Wiesberger – once a member of Europe’s Ryder Cup team – shot a two-over 74 on his return to the DP World Tour following the expiration of his contract on the LIV tour.