Rory McIlroy back to his best as he leads by three after first round at Dubai Desert Classic You can have a driver-ball combo that goes forever but you can't shape it. He just wasn't able to manoeuvre the ball. I see him hitting it both ways now and that is one of the reasons why he started playing well from the end of last year. McIlroy concurred. This is close to my best, obviously. It's a level up from Abu Dhabi a fortnight ago [where he finished second] and I feel very comfortable. This is my lowest score for a while. The last time he signed for a 63 was in first round of the Hong Kong Open in November 2010. Back then, McIlroy was a 21-year-old with two titles - one on the European Tour, one of the PGA Tour - under his belt. There have since been two major triumphs and enough storylines to rival those of Woods, himself. Yet now it has all seemingly come good again. McIlroy missed only one green all day as he adorned his blemish-free card with an eagle and seven birdies. His first birdie was perhaps his best, when from 167 yards he carved a seven-iron out of a fairway bunker to 10 feet on the 12th (his third). That triggered a run of three consecutive birdies and when he reached the par-five third (his 12th) McIlroy was six under. When he hit a five wood on that par five to eight feet and holed the putt, his mind dared to envisage a 59. I had six left and needed five birdies for the magical number. I've birdied five in a row to finish before, so maybe," he said. But no, after I didn't birdie the fourth and fifth I just wanted to shoot 62. I shot a 62 in a casual round at the Els Club last week and I wanted to shoot two 62s in a week. Stephen Gallacher, the defending champion who made up the marquee three-ball, saw what he saw as "sublime." "I was trying to stay as close to Rory as I could," the Scot said. In that respect, Gallacher fared better than Woods, his 66 placing in a group in third. But still, after Woods's 79 to miss the cut at Torrey Pines on Saturday this was a dramatic improvement, notwithstanding the near ideal conditions on this Emirates Course. Somehow, Woods managed to go to the turn in four under, despite his wayward driving. "Tiger's a true pro, he knows there are no pictures on a scorecard," McIlroy said. He was hitting it a lot better at the end of the round but to shoot the score he did on our front nine was a good effort. One commentator at Torrey opined that Woods's backswing was short enough to make him resemble "a 55-year-old." Woods explained why. "I've always played my best from a shorter position," he said. Looking back at my younger days on tour it was even shorter than it is now, the only difference is I can't wheel on it like I used to. He will have to put on the wheels to stop McIlroy. Even Woods's great friend, Fred Couples, can see only one winner from here. "With Rory, it's not a sprint, it's a marathon," the veteran said, after a 70. When a guy that talented gets his game back, he will dominate. It is just a matter of for how long.