McIlroy Looks for Classic at Honda

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World number three Rory McIlroy believes he has made "good strides forward" before the Honda Classic in Florida, which starts on Thursday.

This season the Northern Irishman has come third in Abu Dhabi, sixth in Dubai and 20th in the Northern Trust Open.

"I feel like I am playing well, so it's going out there and doing it when it matters," he said.

He has been paired with holder Padraig Harrington and Open champion Zach Johnson for the first two rounds.

McIlroy, who has won four majors, won the tournament at PGA National in 2012 to become world number one for the first time.

But the following year he walked off the course, telling reporters he was in "a bad place mentally" and then issuing a statement citing severe toothache as the reason for withdrawing.

The 26-year-old lost in a play-off in 2014 and missed the cut last year.

"It's exciting to be back here," he said. "I've had some good performances here in the past and it's a bit of a home game for me this week, only living a couple of minutes down the road.

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The Special One...Tops the World

Rory McIlroy held off a charging Tiger Woods to win The Honda Classic in Florida and take over as the new world number one.

Needing a victory to knock Luke Donald off top spot, McIlroy kept his cool in impressive fashion after Woods, nine back at start of play, finished birdie-eagle to shoot a stunning 62 and set the clubhouse target of 10-under.

Tiger was just one back when he rolled in his eight footer for eagle at the last but McIlroy responded to the roars on 18 with a birdie at 13 and then held his nerve through The Bear Trap - the tough stretch from 16-18 - to stand on the 18th tee with a two-shot lead, the margin he held at start of play.

A beautiful drive down the middle set up a safe par and, aged just 22, McIlroy was the new number one.

McIlroy’s career highlights so far….

• Born 4th May 1989.

• Aged two hit a 40 yard drive.

• Aged 13 won the 2002 Ulster Boys Championship.

• Aged 14 won the 2003 Irish Boys Championship.

• Aged 15 won the 2004 Irish Youths Amateur Championship.

• Aged 16 became the youngest player to win the Irish Amateur Closed Championship in 2005.

• Aged 17 won the Irish Amateur Closed Championship for a second consecutive year in 2006 and became European Amateur Individual Champion.

• Aged 18 won the Silver Medal as Leading Amateur in The Open Championship in 2007, after finishing tied 42nd. Aged 18 was also the Number One Ranked Amateur.

• Aged 18 represented Great Britain and Ireland in the Walker Cup in 2007.

• In September 2007, aged 18 turned professional and joined The European Tour as an Affiliate Member. Won enough money from just two events to finish in the top 115 of The Order of Merit in 2007. Was the then quickest player to achieve the feat.

• Aged 19 won his first European Tour event at the 2009 Dubai Desert Classic, to become the seventh youngest winner in European Tour history.

• Aged 20 became the second 20 year old to reach the top ten of the Official World Golf Ranking in 2009.

• Aged 22 and 46 days became the youngest European Tour Major winner since The European Tour began by winning the 2011 US Open Championship.

• Aged 22 years and 312 days became the second youngest player to reach Number One in the Official World Golf Ranking, following Tiger Woods, who was 21 years and 167 days, when he first reached Number One on June 15th, 1997.

McIlroy Sets Early Pace

Rory McIlroy and Justin Rose are two shots off the early pace at the Honda Classic, after Ian Poulter pulled out with pneumonia.

Rose and McIlroy, who will rise to world number one if he wins, both shot four-under-par rounds of 66.

American veteran Davis Love leads the tournament in Florida after a 64.

Poulter, due to play with Tiger Woods and Lee Westwood, tweeted on Monday: "Just been for a chest X-ray - got pneumonia guys. Rest time for me."

McIlroy missed the chance to rise to the top of the world rankings for the first time when he lost to Hunter Mahan in the WGC Match Play final on Sunday.

But, with current number one Luke Donald resting this week, the Northern Irishman can move above his English rival if he wins at Palm Beach Gardens.

And he made a terrific start to his bid with three birdies before the turn in his opening round.

Starting on the back nine, McIlroy grabbed his first birdie after a 165-yard approach to five feet on the 14th.

Then he sunk a 12-foot putt on the short 17th before two-putting the 556-yard 18th for an opening 32.

Further birdies came on the second and seventh, with his only dropped shot coming on the eighth when he three-putted from more than 50 feet.

Rose joined McIlroy after hitting back from an early double bogey with an eagle and four birdies.

A wild drive down the second ended in a six for the Englishman, but he immediately made amends with an eagle on the next from nine feet.

It triggered a hat-trick of birdies from the fifth to put him firmly into contention before picking up another at the 16th.

Poulter told his Twitter followers that he was feeling feverish just hours before the tournament started on Thursday and admitted that he might not be able to play.

After pulling out he added: "Sorry guys never been so disappointed pulling out of a tournament. Never felt so rough."

Poulter's place went to Argentinian rookie Miguel Angel Carballo.

Ryder Cup captain Love, who insists that he will play against Europe in September if he qualifies, enjoyed a superb day which included a hole-in-one on the 217-yard fifth.

Three successive birdies from the seventh helped him turn in 31 and another on the 17th cancelled out his bogey on the 10th.