LAST UPDATE | 15 Nov

The 42

FRANCE’S ANTOINE Rozner claimed the halfway lead in the DP World Tour Championship after Rory McIlroy failed to build on a flying start in Dubai.

McIlroy shared the overnight lead after an opening 67 and birdied four of the first seven holes on Friday, but played the remaining 11 in one over par to finish eight under alongside playing partner Tyrrell Hatton.

Rozner’s superb, bogey-free 65 gave him a one-shot lead on nine under as he bids to win a fourth DP World Tour title.

Shane Lowry is also in contention — he sits tied for fifth alongside Sweden’s Jesper Svensson and Nicolai Højgaard of Denmark, while Chile’s Joaquín Niemann is alone in fourth spot on seven under.

The Offaly native improved compared to an opening round that left him on just one under.

Lowry registered seven birdies and two bogeys to put him three shots off the lead.

Meanwhile, Belfast’s Tom McKibbin is tied for 16th and six shots off the lead after a solid round two.

“A little disappointed that I didn’t kick on after such a great start, four under through seven, feeling like I was in total control of what I was doing,” McIlroy said.

“Then I just started to miss a few fairways around the turn. When you start missing fairways, the way the course is set up this week, you’re going to start to struggle.

“So I made two bogeys in the next three holes. Steadied the ship a little bit but felt like I let a couple of chances slip by on 14 and 15. But played the last three holes well.

“It was nice to finish with a birdie and at least shoot something in the 60s after the start that I had.

“My comfort level around this place, it’s always been there ever since the first time we played back in 2009. But yeah, the course is set up differently.

“I need to do a better job of hitting the fairways. I did for the first few holes, and then I let it slip a bit. I started to miss the driver a bit left in the middle of the round.

“If I can hit fairways out here, then the greens are very receptive and you give yourself plenty of chances. I’m so comfortable around this place and I’ve had success before. So I’m liking my chances going into the weekend.”

Rozner, whose first DP World Tour title came on the other course at Jumeirah Golf Estates, made two birdies on the front nine and five more in the space of seven holes from the 10th to record the lowest round of the week so far.

Originally published on The 42 whose award-winning team produces original content that you won’t find anywhere else.

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