"That was probably Thriston's worst day"- Rory McIlroy on 'getting the job done' to win the 2024 DP World Tour Championship
Rory McIlroy leads the 2024 DP World Tour Championship after the first round. The Northern Irishman is tied with Tyrrell Hatton at 5-under.
His only competitor in the Race to Dubai, Thriston Lawrence, is six shots back in a share of 37th place. However, McIlroy is not taking his victory for granted and believes he still has to watch out for the South African.
After his first-round performance, Rory McIlroy spoke to the press covering the event. This was part of what he said:
"I want to go on from here and win the golf tournament. I've opened up with a really good score but I need to go out and play similarly over these next three days, not just to try to win the tournament but also to try to get the job done in The Race to Dubai."
He added:
"I'm under no illusions that that was probably Thriston's worst day. If he goes out and has three good one, I still need to go out there and play some very solid golf."
Rory McIlroy leads the Race to Dubai with 4,997.66 points, with Thriston Lawrence second on 3,212.64. The South African has a mathematical chance of unseating the Northern Irishman, but he would need the 2,000 points awarded to the DP World Tour Championship winner.
A look at Rory McIlroy's first round at the DP World Tour Championship
Rory McIlroy started the first round of the DP World Tour Championship with a birdie on the first hole. He parred the second and missed a six-foot putt for birdie and a seven-foot putt for par on the third before making bogey.
The World No. 3 recovered well and played bogey-free with three birdies until the 11th. On the 12th, his tee shot went into a fairway bunker. He managed to get back on the fairway and leave the ball 22 yards from the pin, but his approach shot was not good and the ball only went 12 yards. He eventually made bogey on the hole.
McIlroy recovered to play the last six holes with three birdies and no bogeys. His final score was 5 under.
The 2024 edition will be McIlroy's 14th appearance on the DP World Tour Championship. The Northern Irishman has two victories (2012, 2015) and eight other top-10 finishes. His worst result to date was a T22 finish in 2023.
As for the Race to Dubai, McIlroy has competed in 11 points-granting events. He has one victory (Hero Dubai Desert Classic) and four runner-up finishes (Dubai Invitational, US Open, Irish Open, BMW PGA Championship). He also has two other top-10 finishes.
McIlroy is seeking his sixth Race to Dubai victory (2012, 2014, 2015, 2022, 2023). Colin Montgomery is the all-time leading winner with eight victories.