Rory just off the pace

TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP: TAKES BIG STEP TOWARDS ORDER OF MERIT CROWN

- 

FOCUS. Ulsterman Rory McIlroy watch his tee shot on the first during the first round DP World Tour Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai yesterday.

(Picture: Getty Images)

Rory McIlroy took a big first step towards capturing a seventh Order of Merit crown when he opened with a six-under par 66 round yesterday in the season-ending DP World Tour Championship.

McIlroy was two shots behind American Michael Kim, who was bogey-free in a round of 64, and one behind the red-hot Tommy Fleetwood of England, who did not drop a shot as well in his round of 65.

More importantly, the two players who still have a mathematical chance of beating McIlroy - England's Marco Penge and Tyrrell Hatton - did not have the best starts and were lagging far behind.