But for an infamous fairway wood shot, which splashed into a Dubai pond to background screams of shock, Rory McIlroy would already have a 2022 victory to his name. The scale of anger writ large across McIlroy’s face after his late collapse at the Desert Classic will linger with anyone who witnessed it.
McIlroy’s superb opening round of 65 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in Florida suggested he remains of a mind to right that Emirates Club wrong. McIlroy marched into an early lead where he has won once before, in 2018. Thoughts immediately and understandably turned towards what it would mean for McIlroy should he claim a tournament triumph before an annual trip down Magnolia Lane.
