Rory McIlroy in scorching form in Dubai

World number one Rory McIlroy’s peerless power and precision has put him in pole position at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic.

The Irishman produced a superb bogey-free eight-under-par 64 to take a one-shot lead over Scotland’s Marc Warren at 14-under.

McIlroy underlined his class by closing with three successive birdies but even so, he would have come off the course with the feeling he could have gone even lower on a track where he recorded his maiden professional victory in 2009.