Francesco Laporta holds a three-shot lead following the opening round of the Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship at Yas Links GC. Meanwhile, Rory McIlroy’s pursuit of the Race to Dubai title faced a setback after the Northern Irishman was issued a two-shot penalty following the conclusion of his round.
Laporta’s Strong Start
Italian golfer Francesco Laporta produced a bogey-free 62 to set the clubhouse lead at 10 under par. Laporta reached the turn in 30 and added four birdies during a six-hole stretch starting at the 11th. He narrowly missed the opportunity to record only the second 59 in DP World Tour history, finishing with a par at the 17th and missing a birdie chance on the final hole.
Jon Rahm, Sam Bairstow, and Bernd Wiesberger share second place at seven under. Rahm carded a bogey-free 65, noting that his iron play was the highlight of his performance. Bairstow also remained blemish-free, while Wiesberger recorded seven birdies and one bogey. Matthew Jordan and Adrian Meronk sit one stroke further back in a tie for fifth.
McIlroy Penalty Controversy
Rory McIlroy, who entered the week third in the season-long standings, initially appeared to finish his round at four under par. However, he was assessed a two-shot penalty for a rules infringement at the par-four 12th hole, where he was adjudged to have improved his lie. This penalty converted his double-bogey six into a quadruple-bogey eight, leaving him with a two-under 70.
Replays indicated that after McIlroy’s third shot rolled back into a divot, a piece of grass moved while he was assessing his lie. “I’m just trying to get a feel of the lie,” McIlroy explained. “The ball is in the bottom of a sandy divot, and I’m just trying to feel if I can get a 54 degree wedge onto the back of the ball. In the process, this piece of the grass is laid down.”
McIlroy expressed that there was no intent to cheat, stating, “I don’t feel like I pressed down on the grass but, at the same time, I don’t want the perception of people thinking that I got away with something either. I’m happy to take the two-shot penalty, move on and move into tomorrow.”
Playing partner Eugenio Chacarra, who leads the Race to Dubai, defended McIlroy’s character. “I don’t think he improves his lie,” Chacarra said. “Obviously, the referee and him thought different. In the video, it doesn’t look great, but we’ve been watching Rory for a long time and he’s a class man and never tries to improve his lies.”
Tournament Outlook
Following the penalty, McIlroy sits eight shots behind the leader. Elsewhere in the field, Tyrrell Hatton and defending champion Aaron Rai finished at five under, five strokes off the lead. Patrick Reed, who played in the same group as McIlroy and Chacarra, struggled to a two-over 74 after a double-bogey on the final hole.
Live coverage of the Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship continues on Friday at 7am on Sky Sports Golf.
