Rory McIlroy and Tyrrell Hatton are one shot behind chief Antoine Rozner on the midway stage of the season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.
Frenchman Rozner carded a bogey-free seven-under 65 to maneuver to 9 beneath par, with Northern Eire’s McIlroy and England’s Hatton including 69s to their opening 67s.
McIlroy’s good begin to the event means he’s nearly sure of profitable a 3rd successive Race to Dubai title – and sixth in whole.
His solely rival for the trophy, South African Thriston Lawrence, is thirty fourth on stage par. Lawrence would want to win and hope McIlroy finishes outdoors the highest 11 to take the general title.
McIlroy, 35, was in wonderful type early on Friday with 4 birdies in his first seven holes, solely to then bogey two of his subsequent three holes.
“I used to be just a little bit disillusioned I could not kick-on after such an incredible begin,” McIlroy advised BBC Sport.
“I simply began to overlook a number of fairways across the flip – not by a lot both – however the tough is so thick that you just lose all management of your golf ball if you happen to hit it in there.”
McIlroy added his solely focus is securing a 3rd title at Jumeirah Golf Estates, and never the prospect of profitable the Race to Dubai.
“At this level I am simply attempting to win the golf event. If I win the golf event, then every little thing else that occurs alongside that’s good,” he stated.
Hatton, in the meantime, stated he was “annoyed” with how he performed as he was unable to match the type of enjoying companion McIlroy. However he acknowledged his place on the leaderboard is constructive.
“Scoring has not gone too low,” the 33-year-old advised BBC Sport. “In earlier years, scoring can be just a little bit higher than what it’s this 12 months, in order that’s in all probability helped me.”
Joaquin Niemann is 2 strokes again in fourth place, whereas Eire’s Shane Lowry joins three different gamers on six beneath.
Paul Waring, who wants a robust end this weekend to safe one in every of 10 PGA Tour playing cards, is 4 photographs adrift of Rozner, alongside fellow Englishmen Tommy Fleetwood and Matt Wallace.
