“I don’t want to sound like I’m that disappointed but I feel like I left a few out there. I missed a couple of short ones.
“Overall, it was a really solid start on a golf course that I’m very comfortable on and historically I’ve played very well on.”
Only English duo Tyrrell Hatton and Marco Penge can prevent McIlroy from winning the season-long competition, formerly known as the European Tour’s Order of Merit, but they sit joint-22nd and joint-46th respectively after the opening round.
McIlroy’s Ryder Cup team-mate Tommy Fleetwood sits in second, one stroke ahead on seven-under-par.
The 2025 Tour Championship winner hit five birdies over a six-hole stretch down the back nine, helping him leapfrog McIlroy on the leaderboard.
“I feel like it was a really good day,” said Fleetwood.
“I didn’t think it was that easy. There are some really good scores out there. There were some really demanding shots on that back nine and I felt like I got into a really good rhythm.
“Drove it as good as I’ve drove it all year. It was a really good driving day. I made two or three good par saves, which is key.”
