Rory McIlroy aiming to move up gears after being 'stuck in neutral' in Dubai

Making his first outing in the tournament since becoming just the sixth player to complete a career grand slam, the Holywood man signed off with a one-over-par 73 at Emirates Golf Club to finish on two under par.

Ending up in a share of around 30th spot, it was the first time in 13 outings on the Majlis Course that he had finished outside the top ten in this tournament.

“Yeah, stuck in neutral most of the week, absolutely,” he said of the last hole summing up his frustrating effort, having found water with a 344-yard drive as he cut the corner and had to settle for a par.

The world No 2, who also played in the Dubai Invitational on this trip to the Middle East at the start of the new calendar campaign, will be the defending champion when he next tees up in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am on the PGA Tour from 12-15 February.

“Yeah, for sure,” he replied to being asked if it felt as if it was a case of him aiming to go through the gears between now and another title defence in The Masters in April.

Aim is to ‘hake the rust off a little bit’

“Sort of shake the rust off a little bit. See where the game is. I have two weeks off now before playing Pebble and then Riv (in the Genesis Invitational). So do a little bit more practice. Obviously play those two.

“Then we've got two big ones in Florida (Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill and The Players at Sawgrass), as well. Still trying to obviously build up to The Masters.

“Last year was really good for me with the win at Pebble and win at The Players. If I can keep progressing a little bit and get to a level that I want to be, then hopefully contend in one of the tournaments in California, at least, and then do the same thing in Florida heading into Augusta.”