“I had plenty of chances” – Rory McIlroy dubs Dubai Desert Classic a ‘nice opportunity’ to do something he’s never done before

Rory McIlroy is playing in the first tournament of the year at the 2023 Hero Dubai Desert Classic, which began on January 26 and will continue until January 30. The event was interrupted by heavy rainfall on Thursday, and thus the final two rounds were postponed.

The third round finally concluded on Sunday, with Rory McIlroy leading the tally with a score deficit of 15. The Northern Irish golfer has a three-point lead over second-place finishers Callum Shinkwin and Dan Bradbury.

With 18 holes remaining, the current World No. 1 is looking forward to a nice opportunity to start the new year with a victory. As reported by Golf Week, Rory McIlroy said:

“I love this golf course. I love this tournament. I’ve won here a couple of times. This is my first start of the year. I don’t think I’ve ever won in my first start of the year. I had plenty of chances at Abu Dhabi down the road over the years, and never quite got it done. So tomorrow is a nice opportunity to try to do something that I’ve never done before.”

Having turned professional in 2017, McIlroy never won the first tournament of the year. The Holywood-born golfer was set to compete at the Sentry Tournament of Champions, but he withdrew at the last moment. He did not even play at The American Express and the Sony Open concluded earlier this month.

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Rory McIlroy made four consecutive birdies in round three of the 2023 Hero Dubai Desert Classic

McIlroy is one of the most successful golfers in the world. He has won three of the four major tournaments.

Rory has 35 professional wins, including four major championships, in his career. He has won 23 PGA Tour events and 14 DP Tours. He has a golden opportunity to finally clinch the first tournament of the new year.

Rory McIlroy started the 2023 Hero Dubai Dessert Classic with controversy. He got into a war of words with the LIV golfer, Patrick Reed, who shared the fourth position with Rory at the tournament on Day 1.

Apparently, after round three, Reed maintained his position alongside Victor Perez, Richard Bland, Adri Arnaus, Angel Hidalgo, Shaun Norris, and Ian Poulter, while Rory topped the tally.

McIlroy started the third round with four consecutive birdies on the initial four holes. He then made three more birdies on the 13th, 14th, and 15th holes. Rory finished the day with a scoring deficit of seven with a birdie on the 17th and a bogey on the last hole.

The 33-year-old golfer finished the first round with six deficits and the second round with two deficits. After round three, his total score was -15, and is leading the tournament.

It is important to note that LIV golfers Ian Poulter and Richard Bland were in the lead in the first round, however, after the third round, they share the fourth position.

Notably, Victor Perez won the 2023 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and is also in the race to clinch the trophy in Dubai.