(Photo credit: Brendan Mcdermid-Reuters via Imagn Images)

Rory McIlroy opened his 2026 season with a 5-under 66 on Thursday to grab a one-shot lead after the first round of the Dubai Invitational.

The Northern Irishman carded seven birdies against a pair of bogeys at the Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club and will enter Friday with a one-shot cushion over Scotland's Connor Syme and LIV Golf's David Puig from Spain.

England's Matt Wallace is in a group of five players two shots off the pace. Defending champion Tommy Fleetwood, who outdueled McIlroy down the stretch two years ago at the biennial event, is three shots back at 2 under along with Ireland's Shane Lowry and South Africa's Jayden Schaper. Schaper is attempting to join Nick Faldo and Seve Ballesteros as the only players to win three consecutive events since the tour's inception in 1972.

McIlroy, who opened 2026 ranked second in the world, began his year with four birdies through the first five holes. It was a fast start with the 36-year-old playing new cavity back irons this year.

'If there's help to be had, I'll definitely take it,' McIlroy said of the switch. 'I've been thinking about it for a while. And even in Dubai at the end of last year, I hit a couple of 5-irons that I miss-struck slightly, and instead of it maybe coming up 5 or 7 yards short, it was coming up more like 10 to 15 yards short.

'So, I asked the guys at TaylorMade to build me up a set. And I actually went down to Australia with them, and with that firm turf down there, I felt like those irons were going through the turf better than the blades. And I practiced with them at home since. And I've got a new golf ball in play this week as well, the new 2026 ball. So overall, I like what I've seen at home, and today was a good test for it, and I felt like everything was pretty good.'

McIlroy, who began his round on the back nine, led by as many as three shots before closing with a bogey and seven pars over his final eight holes.

'I felt like I left a few out on that side, but I played a really good nine holes of golf,' he said. 'Overall, a nice way to start the year.'

--Field Level Media