Former world number one Rory McIlroy rallied for a sub-par 70 after a difficult start at the 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."
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 metres (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.
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.
Share
