Refreshed McIlroy leads Spieth, is two off lead

Dyson’s stellar play left him in tied-12th place and only a shot off world number one Jordan Spieth and fellow Yorkshire sensation Matthew Fitzpatrick.

“So look at Tiger (Woods), Phil (Mickelson), Rory, these guys that have done more in the game of golf than I have, and I want to strive to get to what they have done. So that was one of the reasons why I took this step to have the eye surgery”, he said.

“It was nice to go out early and as we were first off we had a clear course in front of us but I think the conditions are tougher for the morning starters”. There are no penalty strokes associated with the penalty (nor any part of the new policy), but Spieth could be subject to a fine of approximately $2,810 if he is put on watch and has another slow time.

On Thursday at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship, Spieth was given what’s termed a “monitoring” penalty that, if it happens again, will lead to a fine.

Spieth added;: “I understand that if you are being timed and you are taking longer than the allotted time, you get a bad time”.

It will be a busy year for Spieth, who is determined to win an Olympic gold medal and help America win the Ryder Cup later in September in Hazeltine, apart from winning a few more tournaments. “And I said that doesn’t make sense, let’s make them on the same lie angle and same length”.

“Best start I’ve had here in years, possibly ever”, said Stenson, who logged runner-up finishes in Abu Dhabi in 2006 and 2008.

Successive gains over the next two holes took the Northern Irishman to the top of the leaderboard alongside Richard Bland and Mikko Korhonen, before McIlroy bounced back from a three-putt at the 17th with three birdies in a four-hole stretch to briefly take the outright advantage.

“Why be nervous, if I hit a bad shot it’s just a chance to show my grace and my character”.

“I drove the ball well and that’s one of the secrets around this course because if you hit it into the rough, it’s hard just to reach the green”. ‘He would have had a truly spectacular score on a very challenging golf course but for a couple of lip-outs.

The American’s card was only spoiled by one bogey on the third, which was quickly rectified by two consecutive birdies, along with an eagle on the eighth, which set him on his way to his current one shot lead.

“I have long held the view that if Spieth played his best golf and Rory played his best golf, Rory would win”.

McIlroy has not played since winning the DP World Tour Championship in November, but there was no evidence of any rust as he birdied four of his first six holes on Thursday. World No. 3 McIlroy was delighted with his 66 today. Spieth’s 24 putts to McIlroy’s 28 was the telling statistic, but the American heaped praise on one of his biggest rivals. He emerged from a two-month winter break with a week of practice in Dubai last week, and says he is refreshed and refocused.