McIlroy Makes Quadruple Bogey But Still Leads Dubai Invitational At Halfway Stage
Rory McIlroy's only bad hole during the first two rounds in Dubai cost him four shots, but he still leads at the halfway point
Rory McIlroy holds a two-shot lead at the halfway stage of the Dubai Invitational despite carding a quadruple bogey during his second round on Friday.
McIlroy has been in sparkling form at Dubai Creek, and has only dropped shots on one hole through two rounds of the DP World Tour season opener.
That one hole though, the par-3 eighth, cost him four shots as he found the water twice on the 214-yard short hole.
After a brilliant opening 62, the four-time Major champion had to battle much harder in windy conditions to sign for a one-under second round of 70, to finish on 10 under and retain a two-shot lead.
"I think if I look at the other 17 holes that I played, I played very, very well again," said the Northern Irishman.
"Played not too dissimilarly to the way I played yesterday. I maybe holed a couple more putts yesterday. But the conditions were getting a little trickier. Wind was up."
The quad was the only blemish, albeit a pretty sizable one, of 36 holes that saw McIlroy make 14 birdies and 21 pars.
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McIlroy was happy with how he managed to respond after such a bad hole - with his one mistake of the tournament so far costing him four strokes.
Just the 343 yards for @McIlroyRory 🚀#DubaiInvitational pic.twitter.com/3sAfXSIQjYJanuary 12, 2024
"Couple of miscues on the 8th hole," he added. "I felt like I did well just to get my head back into it and play some solid golf on the way in, and everyone seemed to find it a little more difficult today than yesterday. So, it’s nice to go into the weekend still with the lead.
"10 was big. I had a chance to bounce back on nine that I missed but 10 was big. The two shots into 13 were big, too.
"And to make two relatively easy birdies, and then I give myself chances most of the back nine, which was nice, and I was able to convert a couple before that tough finishing stretch there on 17 and 18."
Yannik Paul and Jeff Winther are tied second after shooting 70 and 66 respectively, while Tommy Fleetwood is in a group on seven under after following up his opening 66 with a 69.
Ken Weyand, who has made headlines for his score when getting an invite for the no-cut event, followed up his opening 87 with an 82 to sit on 27-over-par, 37 strokes behind McIlroy and 17 off the second-last player in the field.
Paul Higham is a sports journalist with over 20 years of experience in covering most major sporting events for both Sky Sports and BBC Sport. He is currently freelance and covers the golf majors on the BBC Sport website. Highlights over the years include covering that epic Monday finish in the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor and watching Rory McIlroy produce one of the most dominant Major wins at the 2011 US Open at Congressional. He also writes betting previews and still feels strangely proud of backing Danny Willett when he won the Masters in 2016 - Willett also praised his putting stroke during a media event before the Open at Hoylake. Favourite interviews he's conducted have been with McIlroy, Paul McGinley, Thomas Bjorn, Rickie Fowler and the enigma that is Victor Dubuisson. A big fan of watching any golf from any tour, sadly he spends more time writing about golf than playing these days with two young children, and as a big fair weather golfer claims playing in shorts is worth at least five shots. Being from Liverpool he loves the likes of Hoylake, Birkdale and the stretch of tracks along England's Golf Coast, but would say his favourite courses played are Kingsbarns and Portrush.
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