Rory McIlroy stays in the hunt at the DP World Tour Championship, while Penge struggles and Von Dellingshausen remains steady.
Rory McIlroy is on the verge of clinching his fourth consecutive DP World Tour Race to Dubai title. With a round of 69 on Friday, he remains within striking distance of the tournament lead. Marco Penge, currently second in the Race to Dubai standings, improved slightly from his opening round but remains far behind, needing a miracle to challenge McIlroy. Nicolai von Dellingshausen, the only German in the field, continued his solid play and sits mid-pack. 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 Victory
With a hard-fought 69, Rory McIlroy moved into a tie for second place, setting himself up for a potential seventh Race to Dubai title. After a bogey on the first hole, he responded with a birdie on the second. His front nine was a mix of birdies and bogeys, including a strong iron shot on the ninth that led to another birdie. On the back nine, McIlroy birdied the 10th, bogeyed the 12th, and then surged with birdies on 14 and 15. Despite trouble on the 18th, where he had to play his third shot from the fan zone, he managed to save par and maintain his position.
Hatton the Only Remaining Threat
Tyrrell Hatton climbed the leaderboard with a bogey-free 67, putting himself within reach of the season title. He carded consecutive birdies on holes 5 through 7 and added more on the 10th and 15th. Despite struggling with his driver, Hatton credited his iron play and putting for the solid round. He remains five shots behind Højgaard and would need to win the tournament and have McIlroy finish no better than T8 to claim the Race to Dubai title. “I’m not thinking too much about it,” Hatton said. “I’m just focusing on playing better.”
Penge and Von Dellingshausen Trail Behind
Marco Penge improved with a 70 after an opening 74 but remains well off the pace. Early birdies on holes 2 and 3 gave him hope, but bogeys on 8 and 9 halted his momentum. Additional birdies on 14 and 15 weren’t enough to lift him from T44. Nicolai von Dellingshausen also shot a 70, repeating his first-round score. He made birdies on 7, 9, 10, and 12, with bogeys on 5, 15, and 17, finishing the day at T21.