Abu Dhabi Championship second-round leaderboard
-12 J Rahm (Spa), T Hatton (Eng), F Laporta (Ita); -11 S Bairstow (Eng), R McIlroy (NI), A Meronk (Pol), M Jordan (Eng); -10 B Wiesberger (Aut), D Puig (Spa); -9 M Elvira (Spa), A Scott (Aus); -8 D Hillier (NZ), E Ferguson (Sco), T Fleetwood (Eng)
Selected others: -7 M Wallace (Eng); -6 A Rai (Eng); -3 E Chacarro (Spa); +1 P Reed (US)
Full leaderboard
Rory McIlroy posted 11 birdies in a nine-under-par second-round 63 at the Abu Dhabi Championship to move within one shot of the lead.
The 37-year-old put the setback of the two-shot penalty he received on Thursday behind him as he completed the best round of the day to reach 11 under overall.
Spain’s Jon Rahm, England’s Tyrell Hatton and Italy’s Francesco Laporta share the lead at 12 under, while McIlroy is part of a four-strong group that includes the English duo of Sam Bairstow and Matthew Jordan, plus Poland’s Adrian Meronk.
Laporta held the first-round lead at 10 under, but has been joined at the top of the leaderboard by Rahm and Hatton, who both outscored him on Friday.
McIlroy had been handed his sanction for improving his lie during the opening round and as a result finished day one on two under par – eight shots back.
The six-time major winner was penalised after pressing down on the grass behind his ball with his club before hitting a chip on the par-four 12th at Yas Links.
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