Rory McIlroy led the DP World Tour Championship after 18 holes, and he continued to cruise through his second round until his third ball on the par-5 18th struck the water. He’d eventually make double-bogey, dropping from sole first to a tie for fourth place.
When asked about his decision to smash the big stick on the last, McIlroy replied, “I hit a good drive down there yesterday, it’s a comfortable tee shot for me.” “It was slightly against the breeze, and I hit that tee shot extremely good; I didn’t anticipate it to go as far as it did.”
“On the third shot, I hit a really good shot,” said the player. Because of the thatch in that part of the fairway, the ball came off a little spinny up into the wind. To be honest, I didn’t think my golf shot deserved to go into the water.
“I’m still in contention in the golf tournament.”
During the third round on Saturday, McIlroy will be teamed with TaylorMade worker Collin Morikawa.
Shane Lowry, another Irishman, is tied for first place on the board. The 2019 Open Champion matched for the best round of the day with co-leader John Catlin with a 65 in the second round. His bogey-free round includes a spectacular eagle hole-out on the par-5 14th.
“That was one of the better ones I’ve done.” That was the best chip I’ve hit in a long time. “I knew it was going to be difficult when I missed over there,” Lowry said of the short game magic. “It was one of those things when I just saw the shot and went for it.”
His performance this week is surprising, given that he has missed the cut in his previous two starts (Houston Open, Mayakoba).
At 10 under par, Lowry is matched with Catlin, an American, and Horsfield, who has already recorded 13 birdies and an eagle in his first two rounds.
Morikawa, who is leading the Race to Dubai and would be the first American to win the prize, recorded a 68 for the second day in a row and is tied for sixth place, two strokes back.
