Rory McIlroy will hope omens from a historic tenth anniversary help him make more career history at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship this week.
The Northern Irishman has returned to the site of his first professional hole-in-one as the Race to Dubai play-offs begin.
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MciIroy is hoping to tighten his grip on the Race to Dubai titleCredit: Getty
The five-time Major winner has scratched the biggest itch of his career already by completing golf’s Grand Slam with victory at the Masters.
A knighthood is set to follow his green jacket, leaving precious little left for McIlroy to achieve in his illustrious career.
One that remains is a seventh Race To Dubai title, which would see him move just one behind Colin Montgomerie’s all-time record.
McIlroy can take a giant leap towards doing just that with victory at the penultimate DP World Tour event of the year this week.
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However, the 36-year-old has surprisingly never won in 11 appearances at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.
That is despite finishing runner-up on four separate occasions and third across five different visits.
McIlroy hits first hole-in-one
The World No.2 lost out by a single stroke in 2012, 2014 and 2015, with the latter tournament remaining particularly memorable.
McIlroy achieved his first competitive hole-in-one on the 15th hole during round two at the 2015 Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship.
He secured his first ace with a 9-iron on the 177-yard hole, with his tee shot taking a favourable bounce from the left of the pin to drop in.
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McIlroy celebrating his first pro hole-in-one as Fowler looked onCredit: Getty
The then World Number One had responded in brilliant fashion to missing easy birdie putts at the previous two holes.
As a result, McIlroy excitedly celebrated his ace with playing partners Rickie Fowler and Matteo Manassero by throwing his arms in the air.
McIlroy said: “It certainly made up for those misses.
“I knew it had a chance when I saw where it landed, and it took a nice hop to the right and dropped in.
“My first ace as a pro, so obviously the beers are on me tonight.”
McIlroy incidentally also used a nine iron for his first hole-in-one aged nine, but has strangely struggled to replicate the feat as a pro.
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McIlroy is now hoping to win the tournament for the first time on the tenth anniversary of his first aceCredit: Getty ‘Most excited I have ever been’ – Rory McIlroy sent Asia crowds wild with remarkable momentHow many aces does McIlroy have as a pro?
The six-time Ryder Cup champion has only managed to record a hole-in-one three times during competitive rounds in his senior career.
Following his ace in Abu Dhabi, McIlroy endured a seven-year drought before his second arrived at the 2022 Travelers Championship.
His third and most recent also came on the PGA Tour, having hit a hole-in-one during his victorious 2025 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am display.
McIlroy returns to Yas Links GC in Abu Dhabi this week, eyeing glory again to tighten his grip on the Race to Dubai title.
He will get his tournament underway alongside Tyrrell Hatton and Marco Penge at 5:23am UK time on Thursday.