Miguel Makes it Three

He came, he saw, he failed to conquer and 24 hours after missing the cut as defending champion, Rory McIlroy was sunning himself on a beach in Dubai. Given what it took tournament organizers – with financial aid from the government's Mega Events Fund – to get the world number one to return to Fanling, his performance – and a first missed cut since the US Open in June – was unfortunate to say the least.

Opening with a round of 73 in cool and breezy conditions – his worst at Fanling since his debut appearance in 2007 – McIlroy told the assembled press corps that they shouldn't read too much into the score and that he had plenty in the tank to bounce back into contention on day two. And for a while we believed him. Starting his second round at the 11th, the Northern Irishman looked like the two-time Major champion that he is with four birdies in his first 10 holes. Lying only four shots off the lead at that point, things all changed at the third. Par-fives are normally meat and drink to the long-hitting McIlroy but, with only an iron in his hand for his second shot, he found a greenside bunker and couldn't get up and down for birdie. McIlroy's par proved to be a big momentum stopper, and he went on to make four bogeys in five holes thanks to some decidedly average putting. Needing a birdie at the 10th – his finishing hole – to have any chance of getting through to the weekend, the Ulsterman tugged his wedge approach and trudged off the green with a double bogey after somehow four-putting.

"I got off to a great start and then I just started to go the other way," said the clearly disappointed 23-year-old, who had his tennis star girlfriend Caroline Wozniacki following him inside the ropes. "You know, I just got on a slide and I just sort of couldn't stop it. It's just one of those things. I hit it in the wrong spot and misjudged the speed on a couple of putts – that's just the way it goes."

McIlroy has long professed his love for Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Golf Club, and his legions of fans here will no doubt be hoping that he returns next December when the tournament will be played as one of the first events on the 2014 European Tour schedule. Given that McIlroy has stated that he wants to cut down the number of events he plays outside of the United States next year, this might seem unlikely, but the man himself didn't rule it out.

"I still love this course," said McIlroy. "It's just a pity that this year had to end like that ... I'll have to see where it fits in the schedule [next year] but I always really enjoy coming here."