Rory McIlroy vaulted back into contention at the Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship after shooting a career-high 11 birdies during his second round to reach 11 under par. Meanwhile, Tyrrell Hatton, Jon Rahm, and Francesco Laporta grabbed a three-way share of the 36-hole co-lead at Yas Links Golf Club.
McIlroy’s Record-Breaking Round
The Northern Irishman posted a second-round 63 to finish just one stroke behind the leading group. McIlroy stated that he performed well across the board, noting that he drove and hit his irons well while putting better than he had in recent months. He mentioned that recent work with Brad Faxon helped him feel more comfortable on the greens. McIlroy is attempting to chase down Race to Dubai Rankings leader Eugenio Chacarra and position himself for a record-equalling eighth Order of Merit crown ahead of the DP World Tour Championship.
His impressive round came just a day after he received a two-stroke penalty during the opening round for improving his lie at the par-four 12th hole, where television replays appeared to show him moving a piece of grass behind his ball with his wedge. McIlroy recovered from an opening-round bogey on Friday—caused by a sliced drive out of bounds on the first hole—by firing birdies on the second, fourth, seventh, and ninth holes. He added four consecutive birdies from the 10th to 13th holes, rebounded from a bogey on the 14th by laying up and missing the green, and closed out his round with birdies on the 15th, 17th, and 18th.
Reflecting on the penalty, McIlroy explained that he made peace with the decision before leaving the course on Thursday. He admitted the video footage looked poor and stated that he wanted to avoid any perception that he benefited unfairly. He noted that he would rather accept a two-stroke penalty than face accusations of cheating, adding that he played Friday’s round with a clear conscience.
The Co-Leaders and Chasing Pack
Tyrrell Hatton built on his opening-round 67 by starting quickly with back-to-back birdies on the first and second holes, followed by four consecutive gains from the sixth to the ninth. The English player moved into the clubhouse lead after birdieing the 11th hole, but failed to pull clear after a poorly weighted shot on the par-four 16th cost him both a birdie and the outright lead.
Jon Rahm carded a 67 featuring eight birdies and three bogeys, though the Spanish player felt his score could have been lower if not for wayward tee shots on the sixth and 12th holes. Francesco Laporta followed up his opening round of 62 with a two-under 70, which included a double bogey on the par-four 14th after a wayward drive to the left.
Elsewhere, Adam Scott maintained a bogey-free tournament through 36 holes following a five-under 67, while England’s Tommy Fleetwood carded five consecutive birdies on his front nine to sign for a six-under 66.
Live television coverage of the Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship continues on Saturday starting at 7am on Sky Sports Golf.
