Rory McIlroy fired a brilliant nine-under-par 63 featuring 11 birdies during the second round of the Abu Dhabi Championship to move within one shot of the lead at Yas Links.
McIlroy Recovers From Penalty With Record Birdie Tally
The 37-year-old bounced back from a two-shot penalty he received on Thursday to card the best round of the day and reach 11 under overall. Spain’s Jon Rahm, England’s Tyrell Hatton, and Italy’s Francesco Laporta share the lead at 12 under, while McIlroy sits in a chasing group alongside Sam Bairstow, Matthew Jordan, and Adrian Meronk.
McIlroy had been sanctioned during the opening round after pressing down on the grass behind his ball with his club before hitting a chip on the par-four 12th, finishing day one eight shots back. Reflecting on the penalty, McIlroy stated, “I had a clear conscience, and I could just go and play.” He added, “I did everything well again. I drove the ball well. I hit my irons well. I putted a little bit better. I saw a few more putts go in, which is something that I haven’t been seeing for the last couple of months.”
After starting his second round with a bogey on the first, McIlroy quickly recovered with birdies at the second, fourth, and seventh. He then reeled off five consecutive birdies from the ninth to the 13th holes. Although he dropped a shot at the 14th, he responded with further birdies on the 17th and 18th to secure his career-first tally of 11 birdies in a single DP World Tour round.
Race to Dubai Standings and Weekend Outlook
McIlroy is chasing a fifth consecutive Race to Dubai title and a record-equalling eighth overall, which would place him level with Scotland’s Colin Montgomerie. He entered the Abu Dhabi event sitting third in the standings behind leader Eugenio Chacarra and second-placed Patrick Reed.
Chacarra carded a second-round 71 to sit at three under, while Reed also shot a 71 to drop to one over par. The top 70 available players in the Race to Dubai rankings are competing this week, with only the top 50 advancing to next week’s season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.
