SEOUL: Former world No. 1 Rory McIlroy rallied for a sub-par 70 after a difficult start at the Kolon Korea Open Thursday to sit in a disappointing tie for 12th.

The two-time major winner is the star attraction at the Woo Jeong Hills Country Club where the $1 million One Asia Tour event is the Northern Irishman’s first taste of competitive golf after a month-long break.

McIlroy, who lies in lowly 60th position on the European Tour standings, was two-over par with five holes to play before bouncing back with three birdies to complete a first-round score of one-under.

The 24-year-old world number six exchanged a bogey with a birdie on the front nine before coming away with a double bogey on the par-3 13th after finding water off the tee.

After his round, McIlroy admitted he felt “a little rusty” after four weeks off and had to battle to finish under par for the day.

“I just wasn’t very comfortable with the tee shot,” he said. “I took a long time to get settled over it and then just didn’t make a very good swing.”

He added: “It was tough, some of the pin positions out there today were brutal, just cut on slopes and very hard to get close to them. And when you did get close to them, you left yourself very tricky putts.”

The 2011 US Open champion and 2012 PGA winner is in a seven-way tie, three shots off the leader — South Korean veteran Jang Ik-Jae.

Jang fired the only bogey-free round of the day to shoot a 67 and holds a one-stroke lead going into Friday’s second round.

It included a spectacular eagle on the par-4 10th, when he found the bottom of the cup with a 9-iron from 155 meters (170 yards) away.

Jang led the 2005 Korea Open through three rounds but shot a 76 on the final day to drop to a tie for 14th.

A two-time winner on the Japan Golf Tour, Jang is seeking his first victory on native soil since 2005.

“I didn’t hit it too well off the tee,” Jang said. “But I hit some good recovery shots and putted well.”

In second place on three-under par was the South Korean trio of Kang Sung-Hoon, Yoon Jung-Ho, Han Min-Kyu and Eric Mina of the United States — the highest-placed non-Korean.

Defending champion Kim Dae-Sub of South Korea was one shot further back on 69.

Starting his day on the back nine, Kim three-putted for a double bogey on the par-4 11th, but picked up four birdies later.


Els three-shots behind at Macau Open

In Macau, birthday boy Ernie Els of South Africa struck a par-71 to lie three shots behind the leaders after the first round of the Venetian Macau Open on Thursday.

The Big Easy found himself four-over through his opening seven holes but later hit four birdies to make his birthday cake taste sweeter.

Australia’s Scott Barr shared the lead in the $800,000 Asia Tour tournament with Ben Campbell of New Zealand and Finland’s Kalle Samooja.

Barr, 41, produced a measured performance at the Macau Golf and Country Club, shooting four birdies against a lone bogey to set the early pace while Campbell shot the tournament’s first hole-in-one.

Els, who turned 44, said after the day’s play: “I have to be happy with that. It was a tough start. It’s still blowing now.

“I started hitting some nice shots, made a little adjustment with my putter and made some three or four footers. All in all, it’s not a bad day. It’s a demanding course. When you’re off, you’re going to make big numbers.

“I always love coming here. It’s a wonderful place in the world to come play golf. I’ve seen the (Asian) Tour grow nicely and there are so many great players now. Golf is such an exciting sport in Asia and you just want to be part of it.”