Rory McIlroy is nine shots back of the lead after the first two rounds of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship at Yas Links Golf Club.
Starting the day five under, McIlroy picked up four shots on holes two, six, seven and nine, putting him in a strong position at the turn.
Things appeared positive on the back nine for the Northern Irishman after he picked up shots at ten, 11 and 13. However, the four-time major winner would run into trouble on the par-three 17th.
Rory McIlroy suffers nightmare 17th hole at HSBC Championship
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The 211-yard hole, playing across the water, is ranked as the most challenging test at Yas Links.
McIlroy’s tee shot found the greenside bunker, only for his second shot to end up in yet more sand. After making a mess of his third shot, the 35-year-old would eventually find the back of the cup in six.
“I played quite nicely until that point and felt like I hit a nice shot into 17,” McIlroy said during his post-round interview.
“A flighted five iron hit the downslope and trundled into the bunker. It wasn’t a great leave, but the club bounced on me. There wasn’t a lot of sand, and then I made a mess of it from there.
“Bounced back well, two good shots into the last and made a birdie there. Have to go out tomorrow and make a fast start.”
The triple bogey could prove decisive for McIlroy, who made changes to his swing before this week’s event at Yas Links.
Rory McIlroy playing catch-up at HSBC Championship
McIlroy has worked to do if he’s to chase down the leaders over the coming days. Englishman Paul Waring leads the way after carding an 11-under 61 on day two.
The 39-year-old is five shots clear of a four-way tie for second, which includes Tommy Fleetwood. Fleetwood equalled the course record on Thursday before shooting a four-under-par round on Friday.
| 2024 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship Leaderboard | ||||
| Rank | Player | R2 | Hole | Total |
| 1 | P. Waring | -11 | F [F] | -19 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| T2 | T. Olesen | -5 | F [F] | -14 |
| T2 | J. Veerman | -5 | F [F] | -14 |
| T2 | N. Moller | -7 | F [F] | -14 |
| T2 | T. Fleetwood | -4 | F [F] | -14 |
As for McIlroy, the four-time major winner will have to go low on Saturday if he’s to contend in Abu Dhabi.
McIlroy is looking for a sixth order of merit crown and will match Seve Ballesteros’ tally with victory at Jumeirah Golf Estates next week.
The Northern Irishman has made no secret of his desire to win nine order of merit titles and beat Colin Montgomerie’s all-time record.
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