Dubai: World No. 1 golfer Rory McIlroy is looking to “break his runners-up duck” in the Omega Dubai Desert Classic at Emirates Golf Club starting Thursday after finishing second in his last three events.
The 25-year-old Northern Irishman came close at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, DP World Tour Championship and Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship in recent weeks and is now seeking reprieve in Dubai, where he’s enjoyed some of his happiest memories, including his first cut in 2007 and his first professional win in 2009.
“I’d definitely like to try and break the runner’s-up duck rather than go the wrong way,” said the four-time Major winner, speaking on the sidelines of the tournament’s pro-am on Wednesday, which was subsequently cancelled due to the death of popular local golfer Ashok Bakshi, who suffered a suspected heart attack on the driving range ahead of his round.
“We’ll see, I’m comfortable on the course, have good memories and seem to play very well here, so hopefully I can continue to do that this week.
“I first played this tournament 10 years ago, which is hard to imagine, but it’s been a great place to come back to, even if it wasn’t the place of my first victory as a pro.
“I guess this is where it all began. I felt like at the end of 2008 I started to play good golf and got myself into the world’s Top-50. When you get your first win, you feel you move to a different level.”
With his fond familiarity of the Majlis Course combined with a run of fine form, McIlroy said he should be considered a threat this weekend, which is his last event outside America ahead of April’s Masters Tournament — the only Major he hasn’t won, following two PGA Championships [2012, 2014], The Open Championship [2014] and US Open [2011].
“I’d be a disappointed if I didn’t win to be honest. But I think everyone should feel that way. I don’t think that’s just me. You come here to try and win events. You’re not here to try to finish in the top five.
“I’m very happy with where my game is tee-to-green and put some good work in on my short game over the last week, which I felt needed a little bit of sharpening up from Abu Dhabi, so hopefully I can just keep it going.
“I’ve got four days to try and get back on the victory trail and it feels like a long time since my last win [last August’s PGA Championship], so it would be nice to get another one pretty soon and start the year off and head to the States with a victory under my belt.”
