Dubai Desert Classic

This is Rory McIlroy's fourth win in his last seven starts on the European Tour. The other three finishes have been second place.

Rory McIlroy took apart the front nine of the Majlis course with five birdies in his first eight holes, but could add just one more to the tally in his last 10 holes.

Kapur, who shot 72-70-70 and started the day at four-under, had another sedate start. His first birdie came on the third and then followed a bogey on sixth. He found his rhythm on the back nine with back to back birdies on 10th and 11th, but a lapse on 12th set him back again. A birdie on 13th saw him make up for that. Then came a bogey on the ...

Stephen Gallacher fought back after four bogeys over his opening eight that left him in a five-way tie for the lead after 11 holes.

Stephen Gallacher won by three strokes last year for his second European tour title and went 10 under through his last 10 holes ahead of the final day this time for a 63, which gave him a two stroke lead at 16 under.

Tiger Woods birdied his last three holes at the Emirates Golf Club to close with a 71 and a six-under total that left him languishing well down the field, as he finished tied 41st in the end.

Gallacher equaled the European Tour record for the lowest nine-hole score with an inward 28 for a 9-under 63. That gave him a 16-under total of 200, with McIlroy in second after 69.

Shiv Kapur was the only Indian to fall inside the cut line as Jeev Milkha Singh (75-69) and Gaganjeet Bhullar (77-74) exited early from the tournament.

Playing at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic after a gap of two years, Shiv Kapur was tied 69th, while Jeev Milkha Singh and Gaganjeet Bhullar were in danger of missing the cut at 111th and 125th after the opening round here.

It was McIlroy's best European Tour round since a 63 on the opening day of the UBS Hong Kong Open in November 2010. It also displayed McIlroy's renewed confidence in his game after struggling for much of 2013. He ended last year by winning the Australian Open and then finished joint runner-up in his first event of 2014 in nearby Abu Dhabi.

Shiv Kapur, Gaganjeet Bhullar and Jeev Milkha Singh are confident of doing well in Dubai Desert Classic starting on Thursday.

Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy will be hoping for a better showing than a year ago when both opted to start their season in nearby Abu Dhabi and, playing together, miserably missed the cut.

The 14-time Major winner will make his 2014 debut in the 25th anniversary Dubai Desert Classic starting on January 30. Next year will be six years since Tiger Woods last won a Major Championship in capturing the 2008 US Open at Torrey Pines.

Jeev was going great guns with birdies on second and third but a double bogey on par-4 fifth spoilt the day. Another bogey on ninth virtually wiped out his chances and he managed only a birdie after that on 13th to end with a 72.

Indian golfer Jeev Milkha Singh had a brilliant par-birdie-eagle start as he went on to compile a second successive five-under 67 that catapulted him to tied fourth with one more round to go in the Omega Dubai Desert Classic here on Saturday.

This is Rory McIlroy's fourth win in his last seven starts on the European Tour. The other three finishes have been second place.

Rory McIlroy took apart the front nine of the Majlis course with five birdies in his first eight holes, but could add just one more to the tally in his last 10 holes.

Kapur, who shot 72-70-70 and started the day at four-under, had another sedate start. His first birdie came on the third and then followed a bogey on sixth. He found his rhythm on the back nine with back to back birdies on 10th and 11th, but a lapse on 12th set him back again. A birdie on 13th saw him make up for that. Then came a bogey on the ...

Stephen Gallacher fought back after four bogeys over his opening eight that left him in a five-way tie for the lead after 11 holes.

Stephen Gallacher won by three strokes last year for his second European tour title and went 10 under through his last 10 holes ahead of the final day this time for a 63, which gave him a two stroke lead at 16 under.

Tiger Woods birdied his last three holes at the Emirates Golf Club to close with a 71 and a six-under total that left him languishing well down the field, as he finished tied 41st in the end.

Gallacher equaled the European Tour record for the lowest nine-hole score with an inward 28 for a 9-under 63. That gave him a 16-under total of 200, with McIlroy in second after 69.

Shiv Kapur was the only Indian to fall inside the cut line as Jeev Milkha Singh (75-69) and Gaganjeet Bhullar (77-74) exited early from the tournament.

Playing at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic after a gap of two years, Shiv Kapur was tied 69th, while Jeev Milkha Singh and Gaganjeet Bhullar were in danger of missing the cut at 111th and 125th after the opening round here.

It was McIlroy's best European Tour round since a 63 on the opening day of the UBS Hong Kong Open in November 2010. It also displayed McIlroy's renewed confidence in his game after struggling for much of 2013. He ended last year by winning the Australian Open and then finished joint runner-up in his first event of 2014 in nearby Abu Dhabi.

Shiv Kapur, Gaganjeet Bhullar and Jeev Milkha Singh are confident of doing well in Dubai Desert Classic starting on Thursday.

Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy will be hoping for a better showing than a year ago when both opted to start their season in nearby Abu Dhabi and, playing together, miserably missed the cut.

The 14-time Major winner will make his 2014 debut in the 25th anniversary Dubai Desert Classic starting on January 30. Next year will be six years since Tiger Woods last won a Major Championship in capturing the 2008 US Open at Torrey Pines.

Jeev was going great guns with birdies on second and third but a double bogey on par-4 fifth spoilt the day. Another bogey on ninth virtually wiped out his chances and he managed only a birdie after that on 13th to end with a 72.

Indian golfer Jeev Milkha Singh had a brilliant par-birdie-eagle start as he went on to compile a second successive five-under 67 that catapulted him to tied fourth with one more round to go in the Omega Dubai Desert Classic here on Saturday.