Upbeat Rory stays in the groove

It seemed appropriate Rory McIlroy was fitted with a gold-lined Arabic robe soon after an impressive driving display on the opening day of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.

McIlroy was handed the robe, or a ‘bisht’, as an engagement present, moments after shooting a two under par 70.

The robe is worn to weddings or celebrations and McIlroy had good cause to be pleased in ending the day just three shots shy of the leading trio of England’s Matthew Baldwin, Frenchman Romain Wattel and Spain’s Rafa Cabrera-Bello, who head the event on five under par.