Rory McIlroy shakes off opening round penalty to swing back into contention in Abu Dhabi

Rory McIlroy, perhaps more than anyone, knows how to close the deal when it comes to the DP World Tour’s order of merit. Swing-by-swing, the Northern Irish man advanced his cause for a record-equalling title with a superb second-round 63 at the Abu Dhabi Championship to sit 11-under-par at the midway point.

The world number three put his two-stroke penalty in the first round – having inadvertently improving his lie – to one side, shooting 11 birdies and two bogeys to navigate his way up to tied-fourth, one a shot adrift of the trio of co-leaders, Jon Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton and Francesco Laporta.

“I’m still in a much better position than I thought I would be,” McIlroy said after Friday’s round at Yas Links. “I’ve given myself a great chance and that’s all I can ask for.” He is currently third in the Race to Dubai, chasing down leader Eugenio Chacarra and Patrick Reed in second. McIlroy is gunning for a record-equalling eighth title, with the final rankings to be determined after next week’s Tour Championship in Dubai.

“I didn’t dwell on it or I didn’t feel like I did anything wrong,” McIlroy said in reference to the penalty he picked up on the 12th on Thursday. “But then at the same time, the video didn’t look good, like the close-up of it. I just never wanted the perception, people feeling like I got away with something. I just wouldn’t want that sitting with me.

“I’d much rather be two shots worse off than be called a cheat. So that’s what I did, and I made peace with it. At least I went out [for the second round] and it wasn’t playing on my mind. I had a clear conscience, and I could just go and play.”

And play he did. After an opening bogey, he enjoyed a birdie blitz, including a five-in-a-row run from the ninth to move up the leader board.

“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,” he said of his second-round effort.

Chacarra and Reed remain ahead of McIlroy in the projected order of merit standing, albeit with the gap closing. The Spaniard carded a second-round 71 for tied-38th, while Reed’s Friday 71 put him in a share of 57th.