Rory McIlroy boosts Race to Dubai title hopes after strong opening round

While Rory McIlroy rolled in seven birdies in a 6-under 66, Marco Penge — the young pretender trying to overhaul the established superstar in the European tour's Race to Dubai standings — struggled to a first round 74 

IN CONTROL: Rory McIlroy with his approach to No 15 en route to an opening 66 at the DP World Tour Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai. Pic: Richard Heathcote/Getty Images

Rory McIlroy strengthened his grip on a fourth successive Race to Dubai title with an opening 66 at the DP World Tour Championship further reducing his only two rivals' hopes of catching him.

No-one will be able to stop the Irishman being crowned Europe's top golfer for a seventh time - just one behind Colin Montgomerie - if he finishes in outright second.

But he holds such a commanding lead (767 points) in the standings that his six-under first-day total, which has put him joint-third, leaves English duo Marco Penge (two over) and Tyrrell Hatton (two under) with an even greater challenge.

The world number two opened with three successive birdies and then had three more in five holes immediately after the turn to sit just two shots adrift of leader Michael Kim and one behind Ryder Cup team-mate Tommy Fleetwood.

"I felt like that was probably one of the best sort of approach play rounds I've had in a long time: my wedge play felt really sharp and I had a lot of good iron shots," said McIlroy, who shares third place with England's Andy Sullivan and South African Thriston Lawrence.

"I don't want to sound like I'm that disappointed but I feel like I left a few out there."

Winning the Race to Dubai again would be a fitting end to a season which began so brilliantly, with the completion of the career Grand Slam following a Masters victory - an achievement which has led to talk of him becoming only the fourth golfer after Henry Cotton, Bob Charles and Nick Faldo to receive a knighthood.

"If that were ever to happen, it would be an unbelievably massive honour. That's obviously up to people a lot more powerful and important than me," added McIlroy, who also praised Ryder Cup partner Fleetwood for what he feels is the recent addition of a greater killer instinct.

The Southport golfer, who now calls Dubai his home, broke his PGA Tour duck at August's Tour Championship, claimed four points of five at Bethpage, won the inaugural DP World India Championship last month and lost a play-off to Aaron Rai in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship on Sunday.

After Fleetwood's bogey-free seven-under 65, McIlroy, speaking to reporters, said: "He's always been so nice. Then I'm like 'is he too nice?' Because you need to have that little bit of edge in you.

"I know I have it and I feel like that's what you need to win."

Fleetwood offered a typically more grounded explanation, saying: "You just try and continue to improve in every department of the game and I'm on a really great run at the moment but I really think it's consistency of hard work in all areas."