Rory McIlroy put himself in contention at the Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship after recording a sensational second-round 63, carding 11 birdies—the most in a single DP World Tour round. Having started the day two under par, he opened his round on the par-4 12th hole before scoring four consecutive birdies between the 10th and 13th holes on the back nine. He also picked up shots on the fourth, seventh and ninth holes, and closed his remarkable round with gains on the 17th and 18th holes.
McIlroy, aiming to leapfrog Race to Dubai Rankings leader Eugenio Chacarra for a record-equalling eighth Order of Merit title, dropped off the pace after a two-stroke penalty in round one. He endured a difficult start, slicing his opening drive out of bounds and dropping a shot on the first hole, but responded immediately with a birdie on the second. Meanwhile, Jon Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton and England's Matthew Jordan are also firmly in contention near the top of the leaderboard, while Tommy Fleetwood made significant progress with five consecutive birdies on his front nine before signing for a six-under-par 66.
McIlroy credited improving his lie with Brad Faxon and expressed optimism about his putting.
Source: Sky Sports Champions League · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing