“With a 3 wood huh?”; “Yeah that’s false right there” – Fans skeptical of Rory McIlroy’s 194mph drive’s ball speed calculation 

Fans on social media reacted to Rory McIlroy's 194 mph shot at the ongoing Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. The Northern Irishman teed it up at this week’s DP World Tour event, which started with its first round on Thursday, November 7.

During the opening round, McIlroy played some impressive shots, and one shot, in particular, grabbed people’s attention. He hit an opening drive with a reported speed of 194 mph.

The DP World Tour shared the video of McIlroy's shot with its speed.

However, fans were skeptical about the speed calculation and shared their doubts in the comments section.

"With a 3 wood huh? Get somebody over there to recalibrate the unit," one fan commented.

"Yeah that’s false right there. Keep it honest guys. Rory is sensational but don’t over do it lol. Driver maybe but 3 metal no chance for 194 ball speed," a fan wrote.

Another fan commented on the difficulty of playing at Yas Links, the venue for this week's Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.

"YAS is Majestic on a no wind day! It’s Hell 👿 when winds gusting btw 15-20km or more 😳😂," another fan commented.

Meanwhile, another fan praised the golfer for his good shot.

"Amazing!"- a fan jotted.

Here are more fans reactions:

Fans' reaction (Image via X/@DPWorldTour)

Notably, the 2024 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship started with its opening round, and Rory McIlroy shot a 5-under 67 to kickstart the event.

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A look into Rory McIlroy's performance in the opening round of the 2024 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship

The Northern Irish golfer joined the stellar field of the DP World Tour event in Abu Dhabi. He started the game on the first tee and shot a birdie on the second hole. He was impressive on the front nine, making three birdies, while on the back nine, he carded three birdies and a bogey.

The 2024 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship is the first playoff event of the DP World Tour. Notably, only the top 70 golfers in the Race to Dubai are playing this week, and after this, only the top 50 will move to the next playoff event of the circuit.

Rory McIlroy has been impressive with his game on the PGA and DP World Tour events this season. Since the conclusion of the PGA Tour Championship, the world No. 3 has only been playing on the DP World Tour. He has competed in five events on the European Tour so far, achieving four finishes in the top 5, which included three runner-up finishes.

McIlroy was tied for second at the Dubai Invitational and won the Hero Dubai Desert Classic. He was the runner-up at the Amegn Irish Open and the BMW PGA Championship. Prior to joining the field at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, he played at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship and was tied for 25th place.

Meanwhile, on the PGA Tour, Rory McIlroy has been impressive as well, winning the Wells Fargo Championship and the Zurich Classic. He was the runner-up at the U.S. Open and finished third at the Valero Texas Open.