Rory McIlroy stays in contention at the DP World Tour Championship, while Penge struggles and Højgaard leads the field.
Rory McIlroy is on the verge of clinching his fourth consecutive DP World Tour Race to Dubai title. With a determined round of 69, he remains within striking distance of the tournament lead in Dubai. Marco Penge, currently second in the Race to Dubai standings, improved slightly from his opening round but remains far behind and would need a miracle to challenge McIlroy. Nicolai von Dellingshausen, the only German in the field, delivered another solid performance and sits mid-pack. Denmark’s Nicolai Højgaard leads the tournament at 12 under par, holding a three-shot advantage over a chasing group that includes McIlroy, Shane Lowry, and Justin Rose.
McIlroy Eyes Race to Dubai Title
Rory McIlroy battled to a 69 on Friday, moving into a tie for second and putting himself in a strong position to win the Race to Dubai for the seventh time. After a bogey on the opening hole, he bounced back with a birdie on the second. His front nine was a mix of birdies and bogeys, but he managed to stay under par. On the back nine, McIlroy birdied the 10th but gave a shot back on the 12th. He then showed his class with birdies on 14 and 15. Despite trouble on the 18th, where he had to play his third shot from the fan zone, he saved par to maintain his crucial position on the leaderboard.
Hatton the Only Remaining Threat
Tyrrell Hatton climbed back into contention with a flawless round of 67. After a steady start, he made three consecutive birdies on holes 5 through 7 and added two more on the 10th and 15th. Hatton, now tied for 11th, admitted to struggling with his driver, saying: \”To be honest, I’m having trouble off the tee. Normally I hit a fade, but for some reason my start line is a bit too far left, so I’m hitting a draw, which isn’t great.\” Despite the issues, his iron play and putting kept him in the hunt. If Hatton can overcome a five-shot deficit and win the tournament while McIlroy finishes worse than T8, he could claim the season title for the first time. \”I’m not thinking about it too much,\” Hatton said. \”I’m just focusing on playing better.\”
Penge Improves Slightly, von Dellingshausen Steady
Marco Penge rebounded from a disappointing opening round with a 2-under 70 on Friday, but remains well behind the leaders. He started strong with birdies on holes 2 and 3, but bogeys on 8 and 9 halted his momentum. Two more birdies on 14 and 15 weren’t enough to lift him significantly, and he enters the weekend tied for 44th. Nicolai von Dellingshausen also carded a 70, his second consecutive 2-under round. After a bogey on the 5th, he birdied the 7