ABU DHABI: Rory McIlroy won the opening skirmish of his much anticipated battle with Jordan Spieth by two shots in his first competitive outing of the year at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship on Thursday (Friday in Manila).

The world No.3 from Northern Ireland posted a first round six-under par 66 to lie two shots behind American amateur Bryson DeChambeau (64) and one behind world No.5 Henrik Stenson (65).

Premium + Digital Edition

Ad-free access


P 80 per month
(billed annually at P 960)
  • Unlimited ad-free access to website articles
  • Limited offer: Subscribe today and get digital edition access for free (accessible with up to 3 devices)

TRY FREE FOR 14 DAYS
See details
See details