Rory McIlroy is back, and honestly, he looks like he never left. If you were looking for the rory mcilroy score today by hole, you’ve probably noticed he’s making the Dubai Creek Resort look a lot easier than it actually is. He opened his 2026 campaign at the Dubai Invitational with a statement: a five-under-par 66 that put him right at the top of the leaderboard.
It wasn't just the score, though. It was the way he did it.
McIlroy is sporting a bag full of new toys this week—new cavity-back irons and a fresh 2026-model ball. Usually, when a pro swaps out their blades for something more forgiving, there’s a "get-to-know-you" period. Not for Rory. He came out of the gate firing, looking like a man who spent his off-season dialling in every single yardage.
The Back-Nine Blitz (His First Nine)
Because of the split tees, Rory actually started his day on the 10th hole. This is where he did the heavy lifting. He came within inches of an eagle on his very first hole of the year. Talk about a confidence builder.
- Hole 10 (Par 5): Birdie. Nearly an eagle, but settled for a tap-in.
- Hole 11 (Par 4): Birdie. He stuffed a wedge to close range.
- Hole 12 (Par 4): Bogey. A rare mental error where he slid a four-footer for par by the edge.
- Hole 13 (Par 4): Birdie. He didn't let the bogey linger.
- Hole 14 (Par 3): Birdie. A stunning tee shot left him with a kick-in.
- Hole 17 (Par 4): Birdie. Outright lead secured.
- Hole 18 (Par 4): Birdie. A 31 on the "front" nine for him.
He was six-under through those first nine holes. At that point, the rest of the field was probably looking at the leaderboards thinking, "Here we go again." He looked invincible. The ball was coming off the face of those new P7CB irons with a different kind of sound.
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The Front-Nine Grind (His Second Nine)
Then the wind showed up. Dubai is famous for those afternoon breezes that kick up off the water, and the front nine at Dubai Creek is famously exposed.
Rory birdied the 1st hole (his 10th) to move to seven-under. It looked like a 59 watch might be on. But then the momentum sort of stalled. He played the rest of that side in one-over par.
Hole 3 (Par 4): This was the "silly" one. He drove it into a greenside bunker, couldn't get it up and down, and walked away with a bogey. He later admitted he "left a few out there" on this side, especially after failing to capitalize on the par-5 4th.
He finished with a string of pars. Boring? Maybe. But at five-under, it was enough to keep a one-shot lead over Connor Syme and David Puig.
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Why the Equipment Change Matters
You don't usually see the best player in the world (or World No. 2, depending on the week) move away from blades. Blades are for the "purest" strikers. Cavity backs are supposed to be for us mere mortals.
But Rory is smart. He realized at the end of 2025 that when he mis-struck a 5-iron with a blade, it was coming up 15 yards short. With the new cavity backs, that miss-hit only loses five yards. In a game of inches, that's the difference between a birdie putt and a plugged lie in a bunker.
He tested these clubs down in Australia during the December break and fell in love with how they interacted with the firm turf. Seeing him lead the rory mcilroy score today by hole tracker on Day 1 suggests the transition is already complete.
What to Expect Tomorrow
Rory has won in Dubai so many times it practically feels like a home game for him. He’s won the Dubai Desert Classic four times and the DP World Tour Championship thrice. He knows these greens better than anyone.
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The real challenge will be the chasing pack. Tommy Fleetwood and Shane Lowry are lurking at two-under. They’ve seen Rory get hot before and fade on the weekends, though that’s been happening less since his Masters win last year.
If Rory keeps driving it like he did today—and if the wind stays down for his early tee time tomorrow—that one-shot lead could swell quickly. He’s playing with a level of freedom that only comes from already having that Career Grand Slam in the trophy case.
Actionable Insights for Fans
- Watch the Par 5s: Rory played the par 5s today in only one-under. If he wants to pull away, he needs to exploit those longer holes better tomorrow.
- Wind Watch: Keep an eye on the afternoon wind. If the leaders are playing in 20mph gusts while the morning wave had calm air, the leaderboard will flip.
- Equipment Consistency: Look at his proximity to the hole on long iron shots. If those new irons continue to provide consistent distances, he’s going to be very hard to beat.
McIlroy is clearly the man to beat. He isn't just playing against the field; he's playing against his own high standards. Based on today's performance, those standards are higher than ever.
Check the live leaderboard tomorrow morning for the Round 2 updates, as Rory will be looking to build on this 66 and put some serious distance between himself and the rest of the Dubai Invitational field.