Rory McIlroy, the former world number one, was hit with a two-stroke penalty on the opening day of the Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship at Yas Links. The penalty was handed down on the 12th hole, after officials ruled that McIlroy had improved his lie by pressing down the grass behind his ball while assessing the shot, a breach of golf's rules against altering the conditions of a lie.

The penalty turned what would have been a double bogey into a quadruple bogey, an 8 on the hole. Speaking after his round, McIlroy explained he had been trying to get a feel for the lie and that, in doing so, the grass behind the ball ended up laid flat.

Despite the setback, McIlroy closed out his first round at two-under-par, a score of 70, leaving him tied for 33rd place and eight shots behind the tournament leaders. For the Northern Irishman, who has remained one of the tour's most consistent players in recent seasons, it marks a tough opening round at an event he will be looking to turn around over the remaining days.

The Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship is one of the Gulf's marquee stops on the golf calendar, drawing many of the world's top players to Yas Links each year. The presence of stars such as McIlroy has played a significant role in recent years in raising Abu Dhabi's profile as an international golf destination.