Rory McIlroy happy with opening 69 on his competitive comeback

Rory McIlroy overcame a slow start to enjoy a highly promising competitive comeback as defending champion Tommy Fleetwood set the early pace in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.

McIlroy has a remarkable record in Abu Dhabi, with four second-place finishes,two thirds and a fifth in his last eight starts, but missed last year’s event with the rib injury which disrupted his entire season.