A five under 67 was enough to secure the Northern Irishman a share of first place with Sweden's Robert Karlsson, but after finding fewer than half of the fairways from the tee he felt he could have done better.

"It's a good score but I don't feel I drove particularly well," he admitted.

"I didn't feel like I played that good, but I did well to manage my way around the course."

Karlsson suffered a similar fate, struggling to find the fairways and greens, but still scrambled to the top with seven birdies.

McIlroy's playing partners Woods and Donald scored rounds of 70 and 71 respectively, and while McIlroy finished ahead despite a bad day Woods seemed to achieve the opposite - missing only four fairways throughout the 18 holes.

"I controlled my ball all day and just had a hard time getting a feel for these greens," the American said, admitting that it was his putting which let him down.

"I didn't quite read them and my speeds went off because I just didn't have it right."

Meanwhile Donald, who started at the tenth, began the day well with eight pars and two birdies, but a drop in momentum with a bogey at the seventh left him at one under.