McIlroy Hit with Two-Shot Penalty at Abu Dhabi Championship
Francesco Laporta holds a three-shot lead after the opening round of the Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship, where Rory McIlroy’s Race to Dubai hopes suffered a setback after he was handed a two-shot penalty following his round. Laporta opened up a three-shot advantage after a low-scoring opening day at Yas Links Golf Club, where he narrowly … The post McIlroy Hit with Two-Shot Penalty at Abu Dhabi…
Rory McIlroy faced a setback at the Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship after receiving a two-shot penalty during his opening round. Francesco Laporta led by three strokes after a 62, with Jon Rahm, Sam Bairstow, and Bernd Wiesberger also at seven under par. McIlroy, who was third in the Race to Dubai standings season-long, had started the week with hopes of securing his eighth title.
After three birdies on his final five holes, he was penalized two strokes following a rules infringement at the 12th hole. His chip shot rolled back into a divot, and he later admitted to moving grass as he assessed his lie. This led to a quadruple-bogey eight, dropping his round to a two-under-par 70. McIlroy, who has made 10 top-three finishes in Abu Dhabi without winning, birdied the final three holes but was now eight shots behind Laporta and Race to Dubai leader Eugenio Chacarra.
Patrick Reed, McIlroy's playing partner, finished with a two-over-par 74, also eight shots behind Laporta.
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