Rory McIlroy delivered a determined three under par 69 in Friday’s second round of the DP World Tour Championship, reinforcing his command in the Race to Dubai despite acknowledging that he was not at his sharpest.
The world No 2 climbed into a tie for second at nine under, three shots behind Denmark’s Nicolai Højgaard, who carded a 65 to reach 12 under.
McIlroy opened with a bogey and avoided another at the par-five 18th with a skilful up-and-down after a mis-hit second shot from heavy rough. Reflecting on the challenge, he noted the tougher scoring conditions and his difficulty finding fairways.
“It was a struggle,” he said. “But I felt like I showed my scoring skills, battled well, stayed patient and got the ball up-and-down when I needed to. To shoot 69, I’m pretty pleased considering some of the spots I found myself in.”
England’s Tyrrell Hatton, one of only two players capable of preventing McIlroy from securing a seventh Order of Merit title, posted a 67 to sit at seven under in a tie for 11th. Hatton must win the event and hope McIlroy finishes outside the top eight to remain in contention. The other challenger, England’s Marco Penge, signed for a 70 and is well back in a tie for 44th.
Højgaard surged out of the gate with a birdie-eagle start and reached six under through his opening nine holes. He added a single birdie on the back nine at the par-five 14th but his 65, following an opening 67, gave him the outright lead and a strong platform going into the weekend.
“It’s good to be back in a bit of form,” said the 2023 champion. “The key was staying patient. I think the course suits my eye; it’s positional off the tee, and it’s a mix of driver down to 4-iron, which plays into my strengths with mid-irons.”
McIlroy’s Ryder Cup teammates Shane Lowry and Justin Rose shot matching 67s to join him in second, while Denmark’s Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen (67) and New Zealand’s Daniel Hillier (68) also share the position.
One shot further back at eight under are Robert MacIntyre (67), Tommy Fleetwood (71), Laurie Canter (68) and Alex Norén (68).
South Africa’s Thriston Lawrence (T13), Jacques Kruyswijk (T30) and Jayden Schaper (T30) posted rounds of 72, 74 and 72 respectively.
The DP World Tour Championship offers the Tour’s richest purse at $10-million, with the top 10 players in the Race to Dubai also sharing a $6-million bonus pool at season’s end.
– AFP
Photo: Richard Heathcote/Getty Images
