Rory McIlroy’s 63 in Abu Dhabi on Friday pulled him within a stroke of the halfway lead at the Abu Dhabi Championship, a round that featured 11 birdies and buried the frustration of a two-shot penalty from the previous day.
The 37-year-old Northern Irishman reached 11 under par at Yas Links after signing for a nine-under 63, the lowest score of the second round. He had begun the day eight shots adrift following the sanction for improving his lie on the 12th hole during Thursday’s opening round.
Spain’s Jon Rahm, England’s Tyrrell Hatton and Italy’s Francesco Laporta share the lead at 12 under. McIlroy heads a four-way group one shot back that also includes England’s Sam Bairstow and Matthew Jordan, and Poland’s Adrian Meronk.
Fast finish follows slow start
McIlroy’s recovery began unconventionally. He dropped a shot at the first hole, then picked up strokes at the second, fourth and seventh before igniting his round with five straight birdies from the ninth through the 13th.
A bogey at the 14th interrupted the surge, but McIlroy responded with birdies at the 17th and 18th to complete the best round of the day. It marked the first time in his DP World Tour career that he had recorded 11 birdies in a single round.
The penalty he received on Thursday had dropped him to two under par after the first round, leaving him well off the pace. Speaking after Friday’s round, McIlroy said he had put the matter behind him and felt unburdened as he took to the course.
He described his conscience as clear and said the incident had not occupied his thoughts during play. McIlroy added that while his start was not ideal, he found his rhythm and performed well across all areas, noting improved putting compared with recent weeks.
Leaderboard tightens at the top
Laporta, who led alone after an opening 10-under 62, was caught by Rahm and Hatton, both of whom outperformed him on Friday. Rahm added a 67 to his opening 65, while Hatton also signed for a 67 to join the tie at the summit.
Behind the leading quartet, Austria’s Bernd Wiesberger and Spain’s David Puig sit at 10 under. A further shot back are Spain’s Manuel Elvira and Australia’s Adam Scott. New Zealand’s Daniel Hillier, Scotland’s Ewen Ferguson and England’s Tommy Fleetwood are at eight under.
Among the selected others, England’s Matt Wallace is at seven under, Aaron Rai at six under, and Spain’s Eugenio Chacarra at three under. American Patrick Reed, the long-time Race to Dubai leader earlier in the season, is at one over.
Race to Dubai stakes
McIlroy is pursuing a fifth consecutive Race to Dubai title and a record-equalling eighth overall, which would match Scotland’s Colin Montgomerie. He entered the week third in the standings, behind leader Chacarra and second-placed Reed.
Chacarra moved to the top of the rankings after winning the DP World India Championship, his third victory of the season, overtaking Reed, who had led for much of the year following Rolex Series success in Dubai and a win in Qatar.
The Abu Dhabi Championship features the top 70 available players from the Race to Dubai, with the leading 50 after this event advancing to next week’s season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.
