Rory McIlroy's Turkey Start Indicates That Tide Could Be Turning in His Season

BELEK, Turkey — Rory McIlroy has had a tough time of things in the second half of 2015. An ankle injury robbed him of the chance to defend his Open Championship crown, and he has been leapfrogged by Jason Day and Jordan Spieth in the world rankings.

His return to the game following injury has not gone according to plan, as he's posted only one top-10 finish in the five events he has played since making his comeback.

But he still has a huge chance to finish off the season in style by winning the Race to Dubai. It's an indicator of how well McIlroy's season started that he still tops the standings going into the Final Series, which began on Thursday with the Turkish Airlines Open at the Montgomerie Maxx Royal in Belek.

McIlroy may not be in peak form, which he has freely admitted to, but he looked somewhere close to it on Thursday with a blemish-free 67. He sits six off the lead, as Jaco Van Zyl blitzed the track with a 61—but all eyes on the leaderboard will be drawn to a certain Ulsterman.

It's fair to say McIlroy was in cruise control on Thursday. There were flashes of brilliance—a chip in for birdie on 11—while he was also able to extricate himself from trouble when required, notably on 18 (his ninth). After his tee shot found trouble against a tree, McIlroy turned his club around and advanced the ball left-handed to help him save par.

"

Didn't take long for @McIlroyRory to get going! https://t.co/8GNzYXkCUW

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) October 29, 2015"

Over the following three days, cruise control will have to be shut off, but the confidence gained from going bogey free on Thursday could well enable him to do just that.

McIlroy, who chalked up four birdies on his back nine to move nicely into position at five-under, told the assembled media following his opening round:

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I thought it was good. I felt like my game came together a lot more on our back nine, which is the front nine of this course. I felt like it was okay.

Overall, I'm pretty pleased about everything today. I said to (caddie) JP after I holed the putt on three that it was probably the longest putt I've holed in about four months.

So it was nice to see a few putts go in like that and it definitely gives me some confidence going into the next three days.

"

A confident McIlroy is a danger to all his rivals, as he is capable of flicking a switch and heading into an overdrive gear that very few can live with.

The winning number on the Montgomerie Maxx Royal could well begin with a two, as the course offers up a glut of birdie chances.

McIlroy is well accustomed to shooting low when required, and he has his sights fixed on a goal of being victorious in the Race to Dubai.

"

Coming into these three weeks, it's about trying to win the Race to Dubai. I'd like to win a tournament first and foremost, try and get another win under my belt this year.

It would be nice to go to Dubai with another win under my belt, so whether it's this week or in China next week, I feel like I've set myself up for a good three days to have a run at it this week.

I've done it twice before and it's always been a huge thrill and Dubai has been a very good place for me throughout my career.

It would be great to go to Dubai and win The Race to Dubai again. It would be another great achievement to put on my CV.

"

The likes of Van Zyl, Lee Westwood and Chris Wood, to name but three, will be determined to keep McIlroy out of the winner's enclosure, but the tide could be about to turn, and it may be a tide that none of his rivals can stem.