Tough start for Rory and his new clubs!!

   

 After all the media circus on Monday it was back to work today for Rory McIlroy in the first round of the HSBC Abu Dhabi today Thursday.

A little erratic off the tee and  not much better on the greens Nikes new mega star hit one drive out of bounds during a round a million miles away from the way he finished last season.

While his girlfriend Caroline Wozniacki was making trouble-free progress to the third round of the Australian Open, McIlroy won't see the third round of this event if there is any repeat on Friday.

A hiatus of seven weeks and a new set of clubs sounded like a recipe for a disappointing opening round to the season and so it proved and now he has a fight on his hands simply to make the halfway cut.   

The 23-year-old, however, looked on the positive side and suggested things will resume to normality very soon!

'It was the first time I had used the new clubs with a scorecard in my hands, so it was a case of learning a few things,' he admitted. 'On the range you can just wheel away and everything is fine but it is a little different on the course.

'The problems I had off the tee were more to do with the swing than the clubs. I was a little bit rusty, but I've got here and then four weeks off to work hard on my game. My main concern now is to do some work and try to get ready for the second round and make the weekend.'    

On the positive side though his bunker play was exemplary which of course it needed to be to rescue his day. At the final hole, the ninth, he hit the fairway with his new driver before following up with a 6 iron to put the ball within 6 feet of the flag but unfortunately missed the putt.