DP World Tour Championship second-round leaderboard
-5 T Hatton (Eng), R McIlroy (NI); -4 Ok Reitan (Nor), J Luiten (Ned); -3 M Lindberg (Swe), F Schott (Ger), V Perez (Fra); -2 J Schaper (SA), J Rahm (Spa), D Puig (Spa)
Chosen others: -1 E Chacarra (Spa); E A Scott (Aus), C Hill (Sco); +3 T Fleetwood (Eng); +6 A Rai (Eng); +8 P Reed (US)
Rory McIlroy is tied for the lead on the midway mark of the season-ending DP World Tour Championship as he chases a record-equalling eighth Race to Dubai title.
The six-time main winner adopted a three-under opening 69 with an up-and-down 70 to hitch England’s Tyrrell Hatton on the prime at Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai.
Hatton combined 5 birdies and two bogeys to shoot 69, whereas in a single day chief Joost Luiten carded a 73 to lie one shot again alongside Norway’s Kristoffer Reitan.
McIlroy, who’s assured to equal Colin Montgomerie’s report haul of eight season-long crowns with victory this week, sits 4 photographs forward of Race to Dubai chief Eugenio Chacarra.
The Spaniard, who gained 3 times earlier this season to guide the standings coming into this week, birdied his ultimate two holes to complete one underneath.
“I believe it has been a bit eye-opening to see the scoring the primary two days,” stated world quantity two McIlroy.
“I do not suppose the wind is meant to be as up over the weekend, so the scoring is likely to be a bit of bit higher.
“As I stated, the scoring this week, due to this course set-up, simply is not nearly as good as in earlier years. I have been coming again to the golf course for 15 plus years, and also you simply affiliate this course with fairly low scoring.
“After which when it isn’t, you simply must reframe what is an effective rating. Something within the 60s, it appears, this week is an effective rating.”
