Double-bogey derails Rory McIlroy’s cost in Abu Dhabi

Rory McIlroy’s quest to assert his 18th DP World Tour victory was abruptly stalled on Saturday when a late mis-step derailed his spherical for the second straight day.

McIlroy, taking part in within the sixth-to-last group, was charging up the leaderboard on the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship for many of Spherical 3. After opening with a bogey on the par-4 1st gap at Yas Hyperlinks, McIlroy carded six birdies over his subsequent 14 holes, arriving on the par-5 18th at 5 underneath on the day and 15 underneath par total.

However then: catastrophe. McIlroy’s tee shot discovered the water left of the golf green. After dropping, his third shot left him with a 219-yard method to the outlet. His subsequent shot went within the entrance greenside bunker. McIlroy hit his fifth shot to 10 ft, however missed that bogey putt to faucet in for a deflating double.

That dropped McIlroy to T13 at 13 underneath par — 5 pictures behind Englishman Paul Waring’s lead at 18 underneath.

So as to add even additional insult to damage, it was the second time in as many rounds {that a} botched gap late within the spherical had price McIlroy.

Throughout Friday’s second spherical, McIlroy was cruising at seven underneath by way of 16 holes earlier than triple-bogeying the 211-yard par-3 seventeenth. That gap didn’t even embody a penalty shot. As a substitute, McIlroy went from greenside bunker to greenside bunker together with his first two pictures, was nonetheless wanting the inexperienced together with his third shot, then did not get that one up and down. McIlroy bounced again with a birdie on 18 on Friday, however sadly that wasn’t the case in Spherical 3.

“Taking part in the final two holes in two over for 2 days in a row is just not best,” McIlroy stated after his spherical on Saturday, “Value myself clearly just a few pictures there.

“The leaders weren’t getting away, which was good and I used to be making slightly little bit of a cost,” he continued. “Only one mistake, that drive on 18, and with it taking part in a lot into the wind.”

Regardless of the setback, McIlroy was holding out hope {that a} Sunday cost may nonetheless get the job achieved.

“Relying on what the leaders do, I can nonetheless go into tomorrow feeling like I’ve half an opportunity,” he stated.

Low scores can undoubtedly be discovered at Yas Hyperlinks. Match chief Waring fired an 11-under 61 on Friday, and each Tommy Fleetwood and Thomas Detry have posted rounds of 62 this week.

You’ll be able to tune in to the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship’s final-round motion on Golf Channel beginning at 1:30 a.m. ET on Sunday.