Rory McIlroy is tied for the lead at the Abu Dhabi HSBC, but admits he needs to drive the ball better to win the title this weekend.

The Ulsterman stormed into a share of the first-round lead at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship after an opening five-under-par 67.

But McIlroy insisted his driving game would have to improve if he wants to land the spoils on Sunday, “a 67 is a good way to start 2012 but I didn’t feel like I drove the ball particularly well today. I didn’t hit it in the fairway enough. That’s something I’m going to have to work on this afternoon on the practice range.”

“I’m going to need to hit the ball in the fairway a lot more tomorrow and over the next three days.”

Despite his driving woes — he hit just 42 per cent of his fairways — US Open champ McIlroy got the better of playing partners Tiger Woods and Luke Donald.

Woods carded a bogey-free 70, while world No1 Donald was a shot worse off on 71.

Swede Robert Karlsson was alongside McIlroy on five-under while Spain’s Sergio Garcia had a hole in one in carding his 71. Martin Kaymer unfortunately got his year off to a bad start carding a 77 so will have to shave some strokes to contend on the weekend.

Source - http://www.thesun.co.uk

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