Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, hits out of the seventh fairway during the second round of the Tour Championship golf tournament.
World No 3 Rory McIlroy playing in stifling heat at Yas Links at Abu Dhabi returned to competitive action after a month away from golf. He spent most of this time shut away in a studio hitting balls against a screen in search of a more robust swing that can hold up in pressure-filled moments, according to Associated Press.
His return was marked by a 5-under 67 with a new swing in the first round of the Abu Dhabi Championship on Thursday, which left him 4 shots adrift of the clubhouse lead of Thorbjorn Olesen and Johannes Veerman and five shots off the lead held by Ryder Cup teammate Tommy Fleetwood in the first event of the European tour playoffs.