Rory McIlroy admits he surprised even himself with opening round as Northern Irish ace takes Dubai Invitational lead

The Holywood native shot nine-under par at the Dubai Creek Resort course in a flawless day of golf which seen him go bogey-free and tie his best-ever DP World Tour round (62) as the world number two targets a 17th title.

Playing alongside Ryan Fox and two amateurs, reigning Race to Dubai champion McIlroy birdied five of his first nine hole before adding another four on the back-nine to sit two shots clear of Germany’s Yannick Paul.

"I didn't expect that,” McIlroy told Sky Sports. “It didn't feel quite as good as that in the first couple of days when I was here, hitting balls and playing the course.

"It was nice to get a card in my hand again and feel the competitive juices flowing. It was a really competitive group - I really like playing with Ryan and the two amateurs we had, Abdullah and Greg, I know very, very well.

"It was a comfortable pairing and round of golf out there. I surprised myself a bit, but hopefully there'll be more of the same over the next couple of days."

McIlroy is building up to next week’s Hero Dubai Desert Classic, the first event in this year’s Rolex Series, and will also be hoping to end his 10-year wait for another Major success.

"These Pro-Am’s I normally play with my dad and this week I'm playing with the tournament hosts so there's maybe added pressure there to go out and perform!" he laughed. “It's an easy way to get back into things and this is a nice week to do some extra practice and put some work in so that I feel more ready, not just for next week which is a bigger event, but also going into the bulk of the season.

"When the wind gets up it can get a bit tricky. We played the first 12 or 13 holes without any wind and then there was a bit that came in.

"You need to miss in the right spots with some water here and there and I think I did a good job today in managing my misses and keeping it on the right side. When I did hit a good shot I was able to take advantage."