Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland readies himself for his second shot on the 18th hole. — Supplied photo

Rory McIlroy strengthened his pursuit of a third consecutive Race to Dubai title and his sixth overall by securing a share of the lead on Thursday following the opening round of the DP World Tour Championship. The Northern Irishman recorded six birdies against one bogey, finishing with a 5-under 67. The 35-year-old sank a 50-foot putt for birdie on the par-3 17th hole, joining Englishman Tyrrell Hatton at the top of the season-ending event held at the Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai. McIlroy, currently ranked third, would clinch the year-long points race with at least a 10th place finish at this event.

South African Thriston Lawrence, who requires a win here and for McIlroy to finish outside the top 10, had a shaky start, shooting an opening-round 73 on Thursday. He is tied for 37th in the 50-golfer field in the United Arab Emirates. "Yeah, I'm under no illusions that that was probably Thriston's worst day," McIlroy commented. "If he goes out and has three good rounds, I still need to go out there and play some very solid golf."

McIlroy, however, emphasized his broader ambitions beyond the points race. "I want to go on from here and win the golf tournament," he stated. "I've started with a really good score but I need to go out and play similarly over these next three days, not just to try to win the tournament but also to try to get the job done in the Race to Dubai." McIlroy last lifted a trophy in May after winning the Wells Fargo Championship.

Hatton, despite not being entirely satisfied with his own round on Thursday, which included seven birdies and two bogeys, acknowledged the positive outcome. "To be honest I feel like the score was better than it felt. I felt I was tinkering over most tee shots and at times, I felt like my misses were bigger than perhaps they have been over the last month or so, month and a half," Hatton said. "But at the end of the day, to shoot 5-under, you have to, I guess, play fairly solid golf. And in my head, I don't really know what that is. But here we are."

Englishman Paul Waring, a Dubai resident, is one stroke behind the leaders after winning in Abu Dhabi last week. Billy Horschel and Australian Adam Scott each shot a 69, placing them in a seven-way tie for fourth place.

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