Rory McIlroy and Rickie Fowler could not be separated on the opening day of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship but both were outshone by Martin Kaymer.

"I didn’t want to let him get too far ahead of me. I just wanted to try to stay as close to him as possible and thankfully I was able to do that."

Pádraig Harrington must beat seven of the world’s top 10 if he is to win the Honda Classic and make sure he doesn’t miss the Masters for the first time since his debut in 2000.

For a second time in three years Rory McIlroy has seen Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship glory snatched from his grasp due to a rules blunder.

Rory McIlroy has revealed how the unlikely combination of Andre Agassi, Alex Ferguson and twice-daily gym sessions allowed him to begin 2014 as he finished 2013 in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship.

The promotional catchphrase for this week’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship is – ‘Expect the Unexpected’.

Waterford rookie Kevin Phelan has landed a sponsorship deal with the same company that first backed Rory McIlroy — Dublin-based investment boutique, FL Partners.

Rory McIlroy is gunning to make up for his 2013 disaster by targeting not one but two major wins this year.

A new match-play event between Europe and Asia, the EurAsia Cup presented by DRB-HICOM, will be part of the 2014 European Tour schedule.

PÁDRAIG Harrington’s decision to tinker with some 20 changes to his game over the past six weeks paid immediate dividends yesterday with his lowest ever New Year starting score on day one of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship.