Nicolai Hojgaard holds a three-shot lead at the halfway mark of the DP World Tour Championship, with Rory McIlroy in contention to wrap up his Race to Dubai victory.
At Jumeirah Golf Estates, Huygaard posted a bogey-free 65 with one eagle and five birdies to move the 2023 champion to 12 under, while reigning champion McIlroy also joined Logjam in a tie for second after an eventful round.
McIlroy mixed in six birdies and three bogeys for a shaky 69, struggled with his approach play and holed several clutch putts to avoid further setbacks, but remained in good position for his fourth win in the final race of the season.
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Justin Rose found water on his second shot on the par-5 14th and scrambled for an unlikely par with a monster putt.
The world number two is shared with Ryder Cup teammates Justin Rose and Shane Lawrie, Rasmus Nygaard-Petersen and Daniel Hillier, with Tommy Fleetwood, Robert McIntyre, Alex Nolen and Rory Canter a further shot behind at 8 under.
McIlroy is also aiming to win the Race to Dubai for the fourth year in a row, which would put him one more than Colin Montgomerie’s record of eight medals, although Tyrrell Hatton and Marco Penge are still the only top European golfers to finish ahead of McIlroy.
Hatton, who needs a win and the result he wants, enters the weekend tied for 11th with a 5-under 67, while Penge, who has earned 767 points over the season, is tied for 44th and looks likely to be out of contention for the Race to Dubai.
Ryder Cup star chases Hodgegard in Dubai
Heigo started the day three shots behind, but following a birdie on the opening hole and a spectacular eagle on the next par-5, he quickly moved into the lead, making three birdies in five holes from the fifth hole to the turn 30th.
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Nikolai Huygaard joins his cat on the tee box at the DP World Tour Championship
The Dane made good use of the par-5 14th, winning par at the end and wrapping up an unblemished round. Hodgegard was chasing his fourth DP World Tour victory, his first since winning this event two years ago.
Compatriot Niergaard Petersen played three holes at 4 under and was briefly within one hole of Hugaard, but bogeyed the final par-5 and fell back to three. Rose, on the other hand, briefly took the lead with a 65-foot hole with five birdies in the first seven holes.
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Justin Rose held a big birdie putt on the par-3 sixth hole in an eventful second round of the DP World Tour Championship.
Rose sank another monster putt on the 14th to save par. Despite falling off the tee into the water, Lowry also recorded an unscathed round, boosting McIlroy’s hopes of becoming the first player since Henrik Stenson to win back-to-back DP World Tour Championships.
McIlroy bounced back from a bogey on the opening hole to a par-5 with a birdie on the front nine, then canceled out a bogey on the next hole with consecutive birdies around the turn to climb onto the leaderboard.
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Rory McIlroy scores 69 with six birdies and three bogeys in second round in Dubai
The Masters champion was unable to get up and down from the sand to save par on the 12th, but he made back-to-back birdies starting at the 14th, and McIlroy has won three of the last six times he’s started the tournament with two rounds of 60s.
At the halfway stage, the top 10 was separated by four strokes, but first-round leader Michael Kim posted a 4-over 76, falling outside the top 20 following his opening round 64.
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Rory McIlroy struggled to get out of the rough at the end of the par-5 and was left frustrated.
McElroy’s patience pays off in ‘tougher’ situations
Rory McIlroy (9 under, tied for 2nd place): “I had to fight a little more today than yesterday. Comparing yesterday’s score to today’s, it’s a little tougher.
“I missed a few more fairways today, and when I did miss fairways, there were some really bad lies. Worst lies I’ve seen all week. I felt like I showed my scoring skills today, fought well, was patient, and was able to get the ball up and down when I needed to.”
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Rory McIlroy explains how he coped with ‘difficult’ conditions in round 2 of DP World Tour Championship
Nikolai Huygaard (12 under, 1st place): “This is my favorite tournament and one of my favorite courses to play. I’m glad to be back this year with a little bit of a boost. I’m really happy to be here.”
“I know I’m going to have a lot of chances. It’s easy to be a little too aggressive and make a stupid bogey, so I’m just trying to bounce back from there a little bit. Just being patient has been the highlight so far.”
Who will win the race to Dubai? Watch the DP World Tour Championship live on Sky Sports. Live coverage will continue on Sky Sports Golf from 7am on Saturday. Stream DP World Tour and more without a contract.
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