PGA Tour star admits something Rory McIlroy did on day one in Abu Dhabi left him genuinely shocked

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Rory McIlroy got off to a solid start at the Abu Dhabi Championship on Thursday and one specific thing he did left one of his competitors stunned.

McIlroy posted a round of four-under par 68 on day one of the Abu Dhabi Championship but he didn’t get out of second gear, in truth.

The Northern Irishman certainly wasn’t at his scintillating best at Yas Links on Thursday, carding five birdies and a bogey and he trails the leaders by four shots heading into the second round.

McIlroy played alongside Marco Penge on day one in Abu Dhabi in what was a battle of the big hitters.

However, while he unleashed plenty of long drives, his overall game clearly wasn’t anywhere near as sharp as it can be.

Before the start of the Abu Dhabi Championship, McIlroy said this season has been a 10/10 in his mind, but he will be well aware that he needs to raise his level if he is to record his fifth win of 2025.

Michael Kim stunned by what Rory McIlroy did on day one in Abu Dhabi

Michael Kim is a PGA Tour player, but the American’s only win this season actually came on the DP World Tour in France last month.

Kim posted a fine opening round of seven-under par 65 at Yas Links on Thursday.

However, he was truly taken aback by something that McIlroy did on day one in Abu Dhabi.

Kim took to his official X account to praise the 2025 Masters champion for his drive on the par-four 10th hole.

The 10th hole at Yas Links measures 394 yards from the back tees.

McIlroy didn’t leave anything behind with that drive, and he two-putted for what was a much-needed birdie at the time.

He will need to show more of that explosive power over the next three days if he is to contend in Abu Dhabi but crucially, he has to hole more putts.

Rory McIlroy’s stats sum up average first round in Abu Dhabi

McIlroy’s opening round on Thursday was extremely underwhelming by his standards.

The fact that he still managed to shoot a 68 goes to show just how good he is.

Here are McIlroy’s stats from day one of the Abu Dhabi Championship:

It’s clear to see from those stats that McIlroy was nowhere near his best on day one of the Abu Dhabi Championship.

However, his putting was obviously the weakest department of his game on Thursday and he will be hoping for big improvements on the greens during the second round as he looks to climb the leaderboard in Abu Dhabi.