McIlroy felt ‘unimaginative’ with new swing as Fleetwood leads after shooting 62 in Abu Dhabi

That was Rory McIlroy’s view of his new swing, which he tried out for the first time competitively in shooting 5-under 67 in the first round of the Abu Dhabi Championship on Thursday.

It left the No. 3-ranked McIlroy five shots off the lead held by Ryder Cup teammate Tommy Fleetwood in the first event of the European tour playoffs.

Seeking a victory that can clinch a sixth year-long Race to Dubai title, McIlroy returned to competitive action after a month away — most of which he spent shut away in a studio hitting balls against a screen in search of a more robust swing that can hold up in pressure-filled moments.

McIlroy didn’t make too many mistakes in his first round, save for pushing his tee shot on the par-3 17th and failing to get up and down for par. That was his only bogey, while he made six birdies — including a tap-in at the last.

“It felt OK,” said McIlroy, looking rather unimpressed. “I’ve gotten comfortable doing this little rehearsal before I take the club back. It felt fine. I probably wasn’t as imaginative out there — I was hitting very straight shots.

“I hit a couple where I didn’t see the picture of what I was trying to do with the ball flight because I was thinking a little too much about what I was doing with the swing.”

McIlroy said the lack of wind and the generous size of the fairways at Yas Links made his task easier and allowed him to focus on his modified swing.

“I am quite fortunate that it’s a nice week to come back,” he said.

Fleetwood — the next highest-ranked player in the reduced 70-man field at No. 10 — was more in the zone, making eight birdies to go with an eagle at the par-5 second hole in a bogey-free round of 10-under 62. The Englishman took the solo lead for the first time by rolling in a birdie putt from 10 feet at No. 18.