If you had said five holes into the second round of the DP World Tour Championship that Rory McIlroy and Tyrrell Hatton would end the day level on eight-under, you would have been sectioned for psychiatric evaluation, let alone have Hatton a shot ahead of McIlroy after seventeen holes.
A birdie at the last for McIlroy brought some reprieve and kept him alongside the man who everyone expects to be his biggest challenger for a third DP World Tour Championship title after a round of 69 left him a shot adrift of Antoine Rozner and summed up his season.
The 35-year-old looks to have his sixth Race to Dubai title sewn up already but he still wants to bow out in a blaze of glory but must overcome the bouts of brain fog that have blighted his year if he is to do so.
McIlroy roared out of the traps while Hatton struggled, rolling in four birdies in the first seven holes, including a three-putt par on the 2nd before a second three putt of the day for bogey on 8 took the wind out of his sails and he struggled to get it back, slipping up on the 10th before birdieing the last.
“Yeah, look, my comfort level around this place, it’s always been there ever since the first time we played back in 2009,” said McIlroy. “But yeah, the course is set up different. I need to do a better job of hitting the fairways. I did for the first few holes, and then I let it slip a bit. I started to miss the driver a bit left in the middle of the round.
“So tried to sort of straighten that out, and again, if I can hit fairways out here, then the greens are very receptive and you give yourself plenty of chances.
“But yeah, look, I’m so comfortable around this place and I’ve had success before. So I’m liking my chances going into the weekend.”
McIlroy was pleased with how he limited the damage for the final eight holes to ensure he stays hot on the heels of Rozner who carded the low round of the week so far with a 65 to lead on nine-under.
“Steadied the ship a little bit but felt like I let a couple of chances slip by on 14 and 15. But played the last three holes well. It was nice to finish with a birdie and at least shoot something in the 60s after the start that I had.”
The only man who can prevent McIlroy from matching Seve Ballesteros’ tally of six order of merit titles is Thriston Lawrence but the South African needs to win and hope McIlroy finishes outside the top-11 in the 50-player field. And, at nine shots back after 36 holes that seems highly unlikely.
“I mean, at this point, I’m just trying to win the golf tournament, and if I win the golf tournament, then everything else that happens alongside that is nice,” said McIlroy.
“So yeah, but right now my focus is you know, I’d love to get my third title here at the Earth Course, and if I can do that, then yeah, everything else will be great.”
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