Poor Starts Leave McIlroy and Fleetwood 8 Shots Behind Dubai Desert Classic R1 Leader
Credits: IMAGO
Credits: IMAGO
Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood experience a bumpy start at the 2026 Hero Dubai Desert Classic. But after the first round, the two are left eight shots behind the current leader, Francesco Molinari.
Molinari opened the game with a 7-under-par 65. He built a two-shot lead over Mikael Lindberg, who ended with a 5-under-par 67 and grabbed the second position. What caught the fans’ attention was Molinari’s eight birdies, including three straight birdies through the ninth hole to finish the first round.
For McIlroy and Fleetwood, however, it was a bad start. They started with a 1-over-par 73, which created the gap after 18 holes.
McIlroy played the 18th hole as the ninth one and carded a double-bogey seven. And as he made his third shot, the ball landed on the green but rolled back into the water. The penalty put him six feet from the pin, and he needed two putts to hole.
GOLF AUSTRALIAN OPEN, Northern Ireland s Rory McIlroy reacts after missing a putt on the 4th hole during round three of the Australian Open Golf tournament at the Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Melbourne, Saturday, December 6, 2025. NO ARCHIVING, EDITORIAL USE ONLY MELBOURNE VICTORIA AUSTRALIA PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxAUSxNZLxPNGxFIJxVANxSOLxTGA Copyright: xJAMESxROSSx 20251206112954266831
GOLF AUSTRALIAN OPEN, Northern Ireland s Rory McIlroy reacts after missing a putt on the 4th hole during round three of the Australian Open Golf tournament at the Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Melbourne, Saturday, December 6, 2025. NO ARCHIVING, EDITORIAL USE ONLY MELBOURNE VICTORIA AUSTRALIA PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxAUSxNZLxPNGxFIJxVANxSOLxTGA Copyright: xJAMESxROSSx 20251206112954266831
Meanwhile, Fleetwood made a bogey at the 14th and 16th holes. And later at the 18th hole, he dropped a shot.
However, Rory McIlroy had a more confident stance as he entered the 2026 Hero Dubai Desert Classic.
Rory McIlroy Took a Strong Stance Before Entering the Dubai Desert Classic
Just a day before the Hero Dubai Desert Classic at the pre-tournament presser, McIlroy stated,
“I think I need to show up at tournaments with enthusiasm every single time. So playing in the places that I want to play, playing the tournaments I want to play. Not feeling like I'm at a tournament because I'm obligated or have to be there, but because I want to be there.”
Rory McIlroy has been competing for the last two decades. And many would believe that hitting balls for that long would make things tedious. But the world number two has found a way to turn that around.
“So, it's like trying to find the joy in that. What I really found joy in, I feel like at home, is playing golf.”
McIlroy and Fleetwood now face immediate pressure to recover ground in Dubai. With Molinari setting an early benchmark, the second round could define whether their challenge remains realistic.
Written by
Krushna Pattnaik
Edited by
Joyita Das