World No. 2 Rory McIlroy was the joint clubhouse leader after the first round of the $2.75 million UBS Hong Kong Open Thursday where the Northern Irishman shot an impressive six-under-par 64. The US Open champion was joined by Alvaro Quiros and David Horsey after the Spaniard Quiros chipped in on the 18th and the English golfer hit a stunning approach to leave himself a tap-in as the light began to fade. McIlroy went out early in the morning and tamed the blustery conditions at the Hong Kong Golf Club in what he described as his best-ever round over the course. “It's my best here for sure,” said the 22-year-old. “I handled the wind pretty well today and I think I have shot a 63 here once but this was better than that given the conditions.” Quiros, known for his long drives, had his short game to thank for joining McIlroy at the top of the leaderboard, while Horsey's nine-iron to within two feet on the last left him with a simple birdie putt for a share of the lead. One group failed to finish their round because of bad light. Westwood, Schwartzel in front In South Africa, defending champion Lee Westwood birdied the last hole to shoot a 4-under 68 and share the first-round lead with Masters winner Charl Schwartzel at the Nedbank Golf Challenge Thursday. The third-ranked Westwood holed a putt from near 20 feet on No. 18 for his fourth birdie. The Englishman also had an eagle three on No. 9 and two bogeys. Schwartzel unleashed a birdie blitz on the back nine at Gary Player Country Club, picking up five shots over seven holes coming home. Top-ranked Luke Donald was the early leader on his return to competition after a five-week break, but a double-bogey six on No. 17 gave him a 70 and a tie for fourth. Robert Karlsson of Sweden was alone in third after shooting a 69.
