Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland tees off on the 18th hole on Day One of the Dubai Invitational at Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club on January 11, 2024 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)

Rory McIlroy fired an early warning shot across the bows of his manor rivals when he fired a stunning nine-under 62 to take a two-shot lead into the second round of the inaugural Dubai Invitational.

Eight weeks after winning his fifth Race to Dubai, the world number two surprised himself by going bogey-free at Dubai Creek as he seeks to start the year with a win for the first time.

McIlroy's career low year-opener put him two shots clear of Germany's Yannik Paul and three ahead of South African Thriston Lawrence and was a clear signal of intent as he looks to end his near decade-long major drought this term.

"Yeah, I didn't expect that," said the Co Down man, who has finished outside the top 10 just three times in his first event of the year since 2008, racking up four runner-up finishes and five third places but no wins in 15 starts.

"It didn't feel quite as good as that the first couple of days when I was here and hitting balls and playing the course. But it was nice to get a card in the hand again and sort of feel the competitive juices flowing."

Starting on the back nine, McIlroy birdied the 11th, 15th, 17th and 18th to turn in 32 before roaring home in five-under 30 thanks to further birdies at the first, third, fourth, seventh and ninth.

Ryder Cup stars Tommy Fleetwood and Thorbjørn Olesen are four shots off the lead alongside China's Li Haotong in an event which sees 60 professionals competing in a 72-hole strokeplay tournament, which is played concurrently with a three-day team Pro-Am with Sunday featuring professionals only.

Four-time major winner McIlroy also tops the team leaderboard after posting an opening 13-under 58 alongside tournament host Abdulla Al Naboodah for a three-stroke lead over Paul and his amateur playing partner JJ Dudum.

He missed just two greens in regulation and struck the ball so well that eight of his nine birdie putts were from eight feet or less, with the only exception a 22-footer at his 10th hole.

Comfortable in the pro-am format, McIlroy sees it as ideal preparation for the defence of his Dubai Desert Classic title next week.

"All those Pro-Ams, I either play with my dad or this week, I'm playing with the tournament host," he said. "So maybe added pressure there as well to go out and perform.

"It's a very easy way to sort of get back into things and this is a nice week to do some extra practice and put some work in so that, you know, I feel a bit more ready not just for next week, which is obviously a bigger event, but also going into the bulk of the season."

McIlroy is determined to have a banner year and end his near 10-year Major drought, and he hopes to push on in today's second round, which will see Tom McKibbin start in 33rd place after a level par 71.

"I think I did a good job today of managing my misses and missing on the right side, and when I did make a good shot, I managed to take advantage of it," McIlroy said.

Meanwhile, the DP World Tour has announced that Chief Executive Keith Pelley will step aside in April after eight and a half years in the role.

The Canadian was unable to resist the temptation to return to his native Toronto to become President and CEO of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd (MLSE), whose brands include the Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL), Toronto Raptors (NBA), Toronto Argonauts (Canadian Football League) and Toronto FC (MLS).

Just 24 hours after the R&A revealed that CEO Martin Slumbers will step down this year, the DP World Tour announced that Guy Kinnings, the current Deputy CEO and Executive Director - Ryder Cup, will become the European Tour group's new Chief Executive on April 2.

Pelley was instrumental in the creation of the Rolex Series, DP World's title partnership, the G4D Tour for Golfers with a Disability, mixed events, successful Ryder Cups in Paris and Rome and a major Strategic Alliance with the PGA TOUR.

Pelley said: “It has been an incredible honour to be the Chief Executive of this wonderful institution for the past eight and a half years.

“When I came over from Canada back in 2015, I set out to create a culture of innovation and to grow our prize funds and our Tour for our members by ensuring that we appealed to new, younger and more diverse audiences.

“We have done that and so much more because our players, staff, partners, broadcasters and fans have all fundamentally bought into that philosophy that we are in the entertainment industry. I would therefore like to thank everyone for their support and commitment to innovation and evolution in our sport.

“This role with MLSE, and the chance to be involved with my hometown sports teams in Toronto, was the one opportunity that I simply could not resist. It’s something that I’ve always wanted to do at some point in my career and I’m very grateful to be given that chance.

“Similarly, I’m eternally grateful for the incredible experiences my family and I have had with the Tour over the last eight and a half years. I am also fortunate to be able to pass the baton on to someone immensely experienced and respected in Guy who I have no doubt will ensure the Tour continues to prosper for many years to come.”

Eric Nicoli, Chairman of the European Tour group, said: "Keith has been a truly transformative leader, both for our Tour and for global golf. So many of the changes we continue to see in the game today are either directly or indirectly because of his commitment to innovation and growth over the past eight and a half years.

“His impact should not be underestimated, and our strong succession planning means we have fully prepared for this, and he hands over to Guy, another figure who commands huge respect across our industry, with the Tour positioned to take full advantage of the opportunities that lie ahead of us. We therefore thank Keith for all that he has done for the European Tour group and the game of golf since 2015 and we look forward to a seamless transition when Guy takes over in April.”

Kinnings joined the European Tour group in 2018 and alongside his position of Deputy Chief Executive Officer, he is also the group’s Chief Commercial Officer and Executive Director – Ryder Cup. In that latter role, he oversaw the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome – the most successful ever to be staged in Europe. He also has a wealth of experience in a large number of capacities across all aspects of golf, including in his previous role as Global Head of IMG’s Golf Division.

Kinnings said: “It has been a privilege to work closely with Keith since I joined the Tour in 2018. He set out to transform the European Tour group, and unquestionably he has done that.

“It will be a huge honour to take on this role in April and I am immensely proud to have been given this responsibility. I will continue to work closely with Keith, Eric and the Board over the next three months to ensure a seamless transition.

“I look forward to working with our players, staff and partners in the game, as well as our very impressive Executive Leadership and Senior Management Teams, to continue to build upon everything our Tour has achieved in recent years.”