DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Rory McIlroy recovered from a quadruple bogey to shoot a 1-under 70 on Friday and preserve the lead on the midway level of the Dubai Invitational.
The No. 2-ranked Northern Irishman sank a virtually 30-foot putt for birdie on the par-3 sixteenth and completed the second spherical with a 2-stroke lead at 10-under 132 general at Dubai Creek Resort.
Jeff Winther (66) bogeyed the 18th and joined Yannik Paul (70) in a tie for second place on the European tour occasion.
McIlroy had shocked himself with a first-round 62 and added back-to-back birdies on the third and fourth holes Friday.
Then got here the par-3 eighth.
McIlroy pulled his tee shot into the water and hit practically the identical spot from the drop zone. He put his fifth shot onto the inexperienced however wanted two putts.
“If I have a look at the opposite 17 holes that I performed, I performed very, very effectively once more,” McIlroy stated. “I felt like I did effectively simply to get my head again into it and play some strong golf on the best way in. It is good to enter the weekend nonetheless with the lead.”
He then made birdies on the tenth, thirteenth and sixteenth.
“I gave myself probabilities a lot of the again 9, which was good,” McIlroy stated, “and I used to be in a position to convert a few them earlier than that powerful ending stretch there on 17 and 18.”
Jordan Smith (67), Zander Lombard (68), Tommy Fleetwood (69), Thorbjorn Olesen (69) and Thriston Lawrence (70) have been all 3 photographs off the lead.
McIlroy sees the Dubai Invitational — a event in a relaxed setting, with no minimize and a 60-man area — as a delicate technique to ease into 2024. He as soon as lived in Dubai and infrequently visits early within the 12 months to fine-tune his recreation.
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