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‘I’m a fan of 72-hole golf’: Rory McIlroy quips ‘we can go until Tuesday’ in a dig at the rivals LIV format after rain in the first round at the Dubai Desert Classic, as No. 1 tie for third with starting gate rival Patrick Reed
- Rory McIlroy moved up the rankings after a rain-interrupted first round
- McIlroy takes third place with rival Patrick Reed at the Dubai Desert Classic
- The prospect of the rivals pairing up increased amid their war of words.
It took Rory McIlroy 45 minutes to shake off the rust of winter and emerge as a serious contender at the Dubai Desert Classic.
If there’s a devilish sense of possibility in all of that, it comes from where his latest flurry of birdie-eagle-birdie left him after the rain-interrupted first round: in a tie for third at six below with none other than Patrick Reed.
Most will probably know by now that there is some recent history between them, all of which makes the prospect of meeting as a pair in the third or fourth round all the more palatable.
Rory McIlroy moved into a tie for third with Patrick Reed after a rain-affected first round
The world number one completed his first round late with an impressive late run
While they have each once again downplayed the ‘tee-gate’ saga, that’s somewhat akin to forcing toothpaste into a tube after all that both men have said here on the back of an encounter. that would otherwise be laughable on the driving range.
Rather, they expected the narrative to quickly shift to chips and putts, and yet events conspire to hold them together. Of course, to make such a frigid date, or indeed one with Reed’s LIV colleague Ian Poulter, who shared the 18-hole lead with Swedish amateur Ludvig Aberg at seven under par, they must first maintain their trajectories through of a second round that dragged until Saturday due to bad weather.
The DP World Tour has reluctantly scheduled a finish for Monday after two days of downpours in the desert, which would have ranked as the most surreal aspect of the tournament had it not been for a summons, snub, dropped tee and the reopening. from Pandora’s box.
The possibility of McIlroy being paired with Patrick Reed rose amid the pair’s war of words.
“We can continue until Tuesday of next week if we need to,” McIlroy said, before throwing in a little hint about the LIV format of 54-hole competitions: “I’m a fan of 72-hole golf, as you know.” ‘
Due to flooding on the course, McIlroy was forced to complete his last three holes of the first round on Friday morning. Resuming in the seventh with a four-footer for birdie, he sank the putt to reach three under, before driving his shot to the right and into a sandy wasteland on the next.
His recovery with a lob wedge from 116 yards went down through a pair of rebounds for an eagle two, before closing with birdie after another missed shot, meaning his morning workout amounted to six shots and a nice 66 from a performance that he felt was not as impressive as the numbers suggested.
Ian Poulter, pictured, leads with Richard Bland before their second round was called off
He said: ‘Usually I’m the master at turning a 66 into a 70, but that was backwards. The score overlooks the golf I played. There’s no way he’s supposed to be six under.
“I need to refine my long game, but this puts me in a great position.”
Poulter shot an excellent 65, including a chip-in birdie on the last. He had reached eight under before his second round was called off after eight holes, and he was joined by fellow LIV golfer Richard Bland.