McIlroy makes 11 birdies, now one shot off lead in Abu Dhabi — SkimNews
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- McIlroy shot a second-round 9-under 63 with 11 birdies, moving to 11-under overall and one shot behind the lead at the Abu Dhabi Championship.
- Hatton, Rahm and Laporta share the 12-under lead after two rounds, while Jordan, Meronk and Bairstow are tied with McIlroy at 11-under.
- McIlroy opened his second round with a bogey, then made three birdies over six holes and five straight from No. 9; after a second bogey at No. 14, he birdied the final four.
- McIlroy received a two-shot first-round penalty after officials ruled he had improved his lie on a double-bogey hole and then posted a 2-under 70, leaving him eight shots behind; he said he would rather be two shots worse off than be called a cheat.
- Faxon worked with McIlroy on putting last week, while McIlroy said he saw more putts go in after struggling with them over the previous couple of months.
- McIlroy said he expected to be at least two or three shots behind after his second round, but the 63 left him only one shot off the lead.
Why it matters: The two-shot penalty left McIlroy eight shots behind after round one; his 63 brought him to 11-under, just one behind the three-player lead group. His insistence that he would rather be two shots worse off than be called a cheat makes the penalty controversy part of the comeback, not a footnote.
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