Rory McIlroy was assessed a two-shot penalty at the Abu Dhabi Championship after officials ruled he improved his lie on the 12th hole. McIlroy's opening 6 at the par-4 12th became an 8 after he pressed his club on grass behind the ball. The incident occurred when his ball rolled back into a divot following a duffed chip. McIlroy stated video footage "doesn't look very good" but accepted the penalty to avoid perceptions of gaining an advantage. "I'm happy to take a 2-shot penalty and move on," he said.
The penalty dropped McIlroy to 2-under 70, eight shots off the lead held by Francesco Laporta, who shot a bogey-free 62. McIlroy is now tied with Eugenio Chacarra at 70, while Patrick Reed carded 74. Laporta's strong start positions him three strokes ahead of Jon Rahm and three others at 7 under.
The European Tour playoffs began with Laporta taking a three-stroke lead. Despite the setback, McIlroy made three straight birdies from the 14th. The Race to Dubai title race is now set as a battle between McIlroy, Reed and Chacarra, all playing in the same group for the first two rounds.
Laporta reflected on his round, stating "everything was just going like a video game," though he missed a birdie putt at the 18th for a 61. Rahm, returning from seven weeks away, shot 7 under with seven birdies. The next two rounds will determine if McIlroy can overcome the early penalty in his bid for a record-tying eighth Race to Dubai title.
Source: ESPN General · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing