McIlroy rides luck for joint lead in Dubai

Rory McIlroy rode his luck and the punishing Shamal wind on Thursday to get his bid at creating Dubai Desert Classic history off to a storming start.

The 20-year-old Irishman started off 'ropey' in his own words in the blustery, sand-swept conditions and then looked to Lady Luck to steady himself before producing four birdies on the back nine for a four-under 68.

That left him in a six-way tie for the lead alongside Charl Schwartzel of South Africa, Alexander Noren of Sweden, Jeev-Milkha Singh of India, Edoardo Molinari of Italy and Welshman Stephen Dodd.

McIlroy bogeyed the short, par-four second after slamming his drive way left onto the adjacent golf course and he was facing another dropped shot on the next hole after overhitting his putt from 35 feet away.

'It hit the hole, jumped up about a foot in the air and went in. It was pretty fortunate,' he said. 'If the ball didn't hit the hole, it was another wedge. It was going off the green. From there on, I just played solid golf.

'At the start of the day, I would have taken anything under 70 looking at the scores and the conditions.'

McIlroy is bidding to become the first man to successfully defend the title here since the tournament started in 1989 and also become the youngest player to successfully defend a title on the European Tour.

His win here last year represented his debut win on the pro circuit at just 19 years old and he used that as a platform for a tremendous year that saw him establish a place as the youngest player in the world top 10.

But despite a succession of top 10 finishes, he has yet to win again and believes that his familiarity and liking for the Majlis course at the Emirates golf club provides him with the perfect opportunity.

Conditions were in stark contrast to last year when McIlroy opened with what he termed 'the easiest 64 I'll ever shoot' with the gusting wind whipping up sand and dust to impair visibility.

The in-form Schwartzel, who leads the Race to Dubai after winning back-to-back titles home in South Africa last month, said after posting his 68 earlier in the day that it was the toughest conditions he had seen here since he first came in 2003.

'The wind was really blowing out there. Visibility was not much with the sand and the dust around. It was tough and you knew you had to hit the fairways on this course.

'It's definitely one of the better rounds I've played in a long time.'

Starting from the 10th, Schwartzel birdied the 13th and 17th to reach the turn in two-under 35 and then picked up two more strokes at the first and third to get to four under. Six straight pars brought him home with a four-under 68.

Noren quickly matched him with birdies at 12, 16, 18, 2 and 3 although a bogey at the last, when he left his approach short, cost him the outright lead.

The 27-year-old from Stockholm, who scored his debut pro tournament win at the European Masters last year said: 'I like playing in this weather because you know it's tough and you've got to hit better shots than normal.'

One shot off the pace on 69 were a quintet comprising England's Paul Casey, Australian Richard Green, Anders Hansen of Denmark, Alvaro Quiros of Spain and Italian amateur Matteo Manassero.

Last week's winner in Qatar, Robert Karlsson of Sweden, carded a 70 and there was a good start also from in-form German Martin Kaymer.

The 2007 European Tour Rookie of the Year, looking to build on his win two weeks ago in Abu Dhabi, fired four birdies against just one bogey to stand at three under with just one to play.

But a double-bogey six at the last meant he had to settle for a one-under round of 71.

European No.1 and World No.4 Lee Westwood had a frustrating start with a level par 72 that inluded four birdies and four bogeys while playing partner Henrik Stenson of Sweden, the winner here in 2007, continued to struggle for form coming in with a four-over 76.