First-round leader Rory McIlroy dropped into a tie for fifth place with a second-round 74 on Friday at the season-opening Dubai Invitational.
The Northern Irishman offset two birdies with five bogeys, including the 17th and 18th holes at the Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club. At 2-under par, McIlroy is three shots behind co-leaders Nacho Elvira of Spain (68 on Friday) and Ireland’s Shane Lowry (68).
“I just had a great day out there. I really enjoyed it,” Lowry said, per The Irish Times. “I had a great group, two great amateurs, and playing golf in a good frame of mind makes it a little bit easier. That’s sort of a little lesson for me for the rest season. If I play golf like that for the rest season in that frame of mind, I’ll be pretty good.”
Spain’s David Puig (72) and England’s Marcus Armitage (70) share third place at 3-under. McIlroy, the World No. 2, is level with France’s Antoine Rozner (72), Spain’s Angel Ayora (72) and South Africa’s Thriston Lawrence (71).
Defending champion Tommy Fleetwood of England plummeted into a tie for 39th after carding a 7-over 78 on Friday. He double-bogeyed the 218-yard, par-3 eighth hole.
–Field Level Media
